Woof Woof Wednesday with Ice Cream and the Letter B

We've reached the second day of the April A to Z Challenge.

As I mentioned yesterday, some of my favorite things in life are cats, drawing, writing, and the fantasy genre. And so, my A to Z contributions this year will be illustrations for a weird and wacky fantasy story I'm currently writing. This story co-stars a hind limb paralyzed orange tabby cat named Hobo, and this month you'll get to go along on some of his adventures.

Today, we're at the letter B, which stands for books. Just like how fictional feline Hobo's also fictional human of a mom enjoys creating art, as seen in yesterday's doodle, she also enjoys reading. And Hobo may or may not wreak havoc on her books.

While it won't make much sense in these blog posts, these illustrations are indeed based on parts of my story that I wanted to visualize. There's going to be a lot of weirdness this month, a fact I won't deny, but writing and drawing fantastical whatnot is a therapeutic form of escapism for me. So, here we are.

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Now, how about a dose of pup Astrid? Perhaps with a dose of ice cream on the side?

On the first day of spring every year, Dairy Queen offers free ice cream cones. I'm lactose intolerant as well as gluten intolerant, and so I don't eat ice cream cones. Astrid, though, loves her some ice cream, and so I always go and get one for her.

I know ice cream and all that jazz isn't the best for a dog. But, Astrid is 12 years old and I just want the sweet and sassy old girl to be happy. So, sometimes she gets to have an ice cream cone all to herself.

Astrid hopes your day is as tasty as hers!

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Tip of the Day

As we said yesterday, April is Heartworm Awareness Month. For this reason, we are repeating an old series of heartworm tips.

Our second tip relating to heartworms is to know the potential symptoms. Since heartworms can affect the heart and lungs, early symptoms can often resemble those of asthma. Coughing and a lack of desire or an inability to exercise are commonly seen. Other potential signs of heartworm disease include decreased appetite, weight loss, and vomiting. The more severe the heartworm infection, and the longer it is present, the more pronounced the symptoms may be. Severe cases may also involve fluid buildup in the abdomen, as well as acute symptoms of pulmonary or cardiac failure, often due to heartworms causing a blockage. If you have any concerns that your cat or dog might have heartworms, seek veterinary care as soon as possible.

Tonks Tuesday with Towels and the Letter A

It was my intent to start April with a bunch of my A to Z Challenge posts prepared and scheduled ahead of time. But then last week my laptop broke and is still at the repair shop for probably another week. That being the only functioning computer I have at home, I've already fallen behind on these posts. But we're here now.

So, as indicated above, it's time for the April A to Z Challenge.

To preface this year's alphabetical theme, some of my favorite things in life are cats, drawing, writing, and the fantasy genre. And so, my A to Z contributions this year will be illustrations for a weird and wacky fantasy story I'm currently writing. What's more, this story co-stars a hind limb paralyzed orange tabby, much like my own boy Evan. This fictional kitty's name is Hobo, and this month you'll get to go along on some of his adventures.

First up, for A, we have a rather tame doodle. After all, A quite innocently stands for art. Like myself, Hobo's human enjoys creating art. You'll meet this fictional human exactly halfway through the alphabet. For now, though, here's Hobo and a little something his human of a mom created.

I have scribbled up lots of similar drawings of my own boy Evan's extra special legs, so this just seemed like something that also needed to be in Hobo's human's sketchbook.

And if you noticed, Hobo and his human indeed don't live in the fanciest of homes. After all, times are tough. But they'll make it through okay. Mostly.

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Today, Tonks wanted to share one of her favorite things in the whole world. And those are Evan's toilet towels. Hind limb paralyzed Evan is towel trained, and Tonks loves to burrow in his blankets when they freshly come out of the washer and dryer. 

I had only just removed the towels from the dryer and had them in a basket in that there photo. I turned around, and Tonks had already burrowed under the top ones, only her cute little paws peeking out.

Then, of course, lots of happy bloopers ensued.

Given how finicky Tonks is about most things, I'm always surprised how much she loves the towels upon which Evan quite literally urinates and defecates. Granted, she only likes them when they're freshly laundered, but it still shocks me. She's otherwise very picky about cleanliness, but Evan's towels are simply one of her favorite things in the entire world.

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

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Tip of the Day

April is Heartworm Awareness Month. For the next couple of days, therefore, we're going to repeat some heartworm tips we've given before. So, these tips may sound familiar, but we've decided to share them again for this significant month.

We'll start simple and remind you all that heartworms come from mosquitoes, and a dog or cat can become infected if they are bit by a mosquito carrying larvae. This can occur in either indoor or outdoor furbabies. For indoor animals, you can try to keep all windows and doors closed, in hopes to prevent mosquito entry into the house. However, they can enter through cracks, or simply when you open the door to enter or exit. What's more, it is possible for mosquitoes to be out and about year round, even in the winter. For this reason, our first, very significant tip is to simply consider keeping your dogs and cats on preventatives that include heartworm coverage, and that you do this year round.

Yet Another Mancat Monday with Megacolon

Hello, friends! Poor Evan had a rough weekend with his megacolon, yet again. But the little guy finally got everything evacuated this morning, so he's finally feeling much better and is now happily resting.

Though a bit exhausted, Evan still hopes you all have a magnificent Monday!

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Flashback Doodle(s) of the Day

The April A to Z Challenge begins tomorrow. As I mentioned in a post a week or two ago, this year I'll be sharing doodles related to a weird and wacky fantasy story I'm writing, which co-stars a hind limb paralyzed cat heavily inspired by Evan. As I've also mentioned very recently, I had considered doing a theme related to Halloween, like I did a few years ago. Since I didn't choose that theme this time around, though, I've been sharing doodles from that old springtime Halloweeny series, like these two horror movie versions.

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Tip of the Day

Today is the last day of National Pet Poison Prevention Month. Since Easter is just around the corner, we're going to give you a summary of what Easter items to keep away from your furbaby, so that they do not end up at the emergency clinic around this springtime holiday.

First, as most of you likely already know, keep those Easter lilies away from your kitties and pups. There are a number of lily types that are toxic to furbabies, Easter lilies being one of the most dangerous. Any part of the Easter lily can be toxic, even the pollen. Lily toxicity can lead to any number of life-threatening side effects, one of them being acute kidney failure. As you surely already know or can guess, it is simply safest to keep any and all lilies out of the home, well out of reach of your kitty or pup.

Other Easter goodies to keep away from your furbaby include chocolate, which is also toxic, as you all certainly already know. Don't forget the danger that other candies can pose as well, such as the sugar-free sort containing toxic xylitol, also known as birch sugar. If you are giving or receiving Easter baskets that contain candies such as these, keep them well hidden away, so that hungry or curious furbabies cannot help themselves to a toxic snack.

It is also worth noting the danger of Easter grass. This stringy grass-like material often used as a filler in Easter baskets can be dangerous if ingested by a kitty or pup. It can lead to emergencies such as intestinal blockage, perforation, or laceration. Try not to use any such materials in Easter baskets. If you receive a basket with this dangerous fake grass material, keep it well out of your furbaby's reach and dispose of it safely.

Friendly Fill-Ins and Eddy's Photo Fails

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 like to pretend _________.

2. Why anyone wants to _________ is beyond me.

3. I have a lot in common with _________.

4. I tend to be optimistic about _________ but pessimistic when it comes to _________.


My answers are below in bold.

1. I like to pretend I'm good at singing.

(I'm one of those people who puts on concerts in my car and in the shower. As fun as it is to pretend, though, I won't be quitting my day job.)

2. Why anyone wants to spend time away from home is beyond me.
(This is obviously a bit of an exaggeration. It's not healthy to never leave your house, I do understand that. But, as I've mentioned more times than necessary here on my blog, I'm a major homebody. I'd pretty much always rather be home with my furbabies than anywhere else, so when I meet someone who enjoys traveling and going out on the town and that sort of thing, it boggles my mind.)

3. I have a lot in common with my dad.

(I also have quite a bit in common with my sister, and my mom, but my dad is the person I have the most in common with in the entire world. We have very similar personalities, as well as very similar interests. We read the same kinds of books, watch the same kinds of movies, share a plethora of hobbies, of course love animals, and you get the idea.)

4. I tend to be optimistic about animals but pessimistic when it comes to humanity.
(I'm sorry if this sounds harsh, but I also feel like a lot of you might understand where I'm coming from. Our kitties, pups, and other animals offer nonjudgmental, unconditional love. Humanity, on the other hand, just isn't capable of that. That makes me have a lot of optimism around animals but not so much when it comes to my fellow humans. That said, you're all amazing, and it's other sorts of humanity this far more relates to.)

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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And now it's time for the Pet Photo Fails Blog Hop, hosted by none other than Melissa and Mudpie of Melissa's Mochas, Mysteries, & Meows.

Today, our blooper queen Eddy went all out on the blurriness and just general blooperiness. See?

This is what happens when I get ready to take a picture of Eddy, and then she starts moving (as always), and then the camera and I start moving with her. The result is just all shades of blur.

Eddy hopes you enjoyed seeing nothing but the blur of her tabby self!

Happy Friday, friends!

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Flashback Doodle of the Day

Today we have yet another flashback springtime Halloween doodle from our April A to Z Challenge a few years ago. This one stars not only my angle Rosie, but also a cat-o'-lantern, or three.

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Tip of the Day

Today's National Pet Poison Awareness Month tip is an add-on to our tip from yesterday, when we reminded you to keep doors closed and other obstacles in place to keep your furbaby safe from substances and areas with poison. Taking that one step further, if needed, child-proofing products can be your best friend even for the furry ones in your life. For example, do you have a curious kitty or puppy who has found ways to open cabinets and drawers? This can put a furbaby at risk, such as if those cabinets and drawers contain human medications, cleaners, or other toxic items, or even sharp or other dangerous objects. To prevent prying paws from opening cabinets and drawers, you can get child-proof, or pet-proof, locks that make cabinets and drawers difficult or impossible to open without dexterity, or opposable thumbs. There are also child-proof locks to keep main doors securely closed. This can come in handy if you have a kitty or pup who knows how to manipulate certain door handles.

We've mentioned this on here before, but also don't forget the usefulness of baby gates. They also make gates that are more specifically pet-proof, such as tall ones over which dogs and cats cannot easily jump. These can be used to block access to certain areas of the house to ensure your kitty or pup's safety. For example, you can use baby or pet gates to block access to the kitchen, especially if potentially toxic foods are being prepared. These gates can also be used to block off garbage cans, laundry areas, or other areas of the home where potential poisoning might occur.

Just as with a human child, our kitties and pups can get themselves into trouble. Consider all areas of the home where danger might arise, and then do your research on what you can do to best prevent emergencies from dangers such as accidental poisoning. Do your best to always be one step ahead of your kitty or pup, as difficult as that may be.

Thankful Thimble Thursday with a Blurry Nose Boop

Happy Thursday, friends! Thimble is of course more than ready for Angel Brian's Thankful Thursday Blog Hop.

Today, Thimble is grateful that's she's adorable even when a bit blurry. After all, she found out Eddy gets to share some bloopers for tomorrow's Pet Photo Fails blog hop, and so Thimble wanted to partake as well.

That's barely a blooper, really, especially since Thimble's bloopers are nowhere near as blurry as Eddy's. Even so, Thimble and I were trying to get a photo focused on her cute little nose. But, as you might be able to tell, her nose is actually the blurriest thing in that there photo. Of course, Thimble is still downright adorable.

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And now we of course 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 like to pretend _________.

2. Why anyone wants to _________ is beyond me.

3. I have a lot in common with _________.

4. I tend to be optimistic about _________ but pessimistic when it comes to _________.

We'll see you tomorrow, friends!

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Flashback Doodle of the Day

I mentioned yesterday how I almost chose a Halloween theme for this year's April A to Z Challenge but ended up going a different route. I did do a springtime Halloween theme a few years ago, though, and so I'm sharing some of those spooky doodles for a few days.

That's another rather tame one, especially considering some of the other doodles from this series are far more Halloweeny. We'll be sharing some of those extra wacky ones as well, though.

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Tip of the Day

In these last couple days of National Pet Poison Awareness Month, we're going to summarize some tips on how to help keep your furbaby safe from potential poisons. First, as obvious as it is, we're here today to remind you to use doors or other obstacles to properly block your kitty or pup's access to potentially dangerous products or areas of the house. For example, if your bathroom, laundry room, or utility closet contain dangerous chemicals, such as detergents, then keep their doors securely closed to bar your furbaby's entrance. Similarly, keep the door to your garage shut, in order to keep your furbaby away from gasoline, antifreeze, and other dangers that might be found in the garage. If you have a shed and your furbaby goes outdoors, keep the shed's door securely closed, especially if it houses fertilizers, pesticides, or other potentially toxic products. And don't forget to consider your garden, where toxic plants might grow, or where dangerous chemicals might be used. In such cases, monitor your furbaby while outdoors, and block your kitty or pup's access to the garden, such as with a secure fence. In short, consider all areas of the house and yard where poisoning or danger might arise, and ensure proper safety against said dangers.

Adventures with Astrid and Arthritis

Pup Astrid turned 12 in February. Though I'm grateful it took this long, I have to admit that Astrid has finally started to show her age. The main issue she deals with these days is her osteoarthritis. Her back legs have definitely become more stiff and weak. Her back right leg is the most significant problem, as she was born without that hip joint properly formed, back in 2017 she lost a toe on that foot to cancer, and in 2022 she had metal screwed into that knee to repair a torn CCL. Due to her congenital hip joint issue, that leg is also shorter than the other, which has been causing atrophying muscles for years now. And it really doesn't help that Astrid is currently at her heaviest, 85 lbs, which we'd like to reduce.

All of the above said, in the past few days, we've added a decent dose of gabapentin to the carprofen and Dasuquin Astrid already gets. Almost immediately, we noticed a great improvement in Astrid's legs and arthritis. Just this past weekend, my sister, my dad, and I all went on a walk with the pup. She always gets extra excited when my dad, her Pawpaw, joins us for a walk. On that beautiful day with her beloved Pawpaw, Astrid chose to go on a long walk, and her legs gave her little to no trouble at all.

One of arthritic Astrid's main issues, even on the new pain med regimen, is posturing to none other than poop. I try to help support her when I see her preparing to go. But, given the mess I found on her yesterday, she clearly fell while trying to evacuate her bowels in the back yard when I wasn't looking. Whatever tumble she took has caused her back right leg to bother her even more than usual, and so she's getting plenty of those pain meds and is getting breaks from walks for a couple of days to let whatever she did heal up.

Luckily, over the past few years, Astrid has developed an obsession with hanging out in the back yard. So, even when she gets breaks from walks to help her legs, she happily chooses to spend hours upon hours outdoors. When my sister or I do walk her, she'll often even pick a short walk so that she can scurry home, run inside, and go straight to the back door and her beloved back yard.

Don't worry, though, because ornery Astrid is still here. The pup still steals cat food, vehemently demands pieces of chicken, and just generally wreaks all sorts of havoc, just like she's always done. 

If her arthritic legs continue to decline, even on pain meds, we'll at that point give the Librela injection a try. We're hoping to put off that slightly more divisive arthritis treatment for a while if we can, as there are some potential side effects that are a bit concerning. But, should Astrid need more than just pain meds, we'll give other routes a try.

Old girl yet still very ornery Astrid wishes you all a happy Wednesday!

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Flashback Doodle of the Day

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Tip of the Day

Yesterday's National Pet Poison Awareness Month tip was about being cautious of the potentially poisonous bites of certain snakes and spiders. In a similar yet also different tip, we are today talking about those critters who contain substances that could be toxic if ingested by our furbabies. For example, there are certain toads that contain substances on their body that can lead to severe toxicity. Two of the most poisonous toads are the Colorado River toad and the Marine toad. A pup or kitty making oral contact with these toads can lead to nearly immediate side effects such as drooling, vomiting, diarrhea, difficult breathing, difficulty walking, and potentially death if left untreated.

Other critters that can poison a dog or cat if ingested include a butterfly or caterpillar that has eaten milkweed, which can be incredibly toxic to our furbabies. In addition to this, there are some caterpillars with hairs or other means capable of injecting venomous toxins, which can spell out trouble if a cat or dog puts the caterpillar in their mouth. Monarch caterpillars and a variety of moth caterpillars are some of those known to have the ability to inject toxins when threatened.

Even fireflies can have poisonous effects on a cat or pup if ingested. Though their less-than-ideal taste is likely to keep a pup or kitty away, if ingested, they can cause vomiting and other gastrointestinal distress. For all of these reasons, especially if you are unsure of a critter's potential effects on your furbaby, simply do all that you can to prevent your kitty or pup's contact with or ingestion of bugs and other critters. As we mentioned yesterday, do your best to be aware of the types of critters in the area, and which ones can pose a risk to your pup or kitty. And, if your furbaby does come into contact with or ingest any bug of which you are unsure, do not hesitate to contact a veterinarian.

Tonks Tuesday with the Chair Thief

It's Tonks Tuesday. Today, the calico isn't sharing a photo with all that great of lighting. That said, I snapped it a couple nights ago, when Tonks stole the chair I was sitting in after I got up for all of one whole minute. She looked so adorable about her thievery, though, as you can clearly see here.

Tonks was looking right at me with the cutest look on her face, but as soon as I pulled my phone out to snap her photo she refused to make eye contact. Even so, you get the adorable gist above.

Happy Tuesday, friends!

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Flashback Doodle of the Day

One of the themes I almost picked for this year's April A to Z Challenge was something related to Halloween. I didn't end up picking that this time around, though I did a Halfway to Halloween, or springtime Halloween, theme a few years ago. All of the doodles starred my sweet angel Rosie and looked a little something like this:

A lot of the doodles from that series were actually way more Halloweenish than the one above. I think I'll share more of those over the next few days. This also reminds me that I'm way past due to draw more doodles starring my beautiful Rosie.

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Tip of the Day

As part of National Pet Poison Awareness Month, we're now talking about the risk of poisonous bites your kitty or pup might receive from other critters. Depending on where you live, or where you might be visiting with your furbaby, you might find it necessary to be on the lookout for critters such as snakes and spiders whose bites can have toxic effects. When it comes to snakes, some of the dangerous ones include certain coral snakes and rattlesnakes. As for spiders, as most of you certainly know, black widows and brown recluses are among the most dangerous. Bites from such critters can result in any number of dangerous or life-threatening side effects, including cardiovascular shock, respiratory distress, neurological damage, and tissue damage, among others.

When outdoors, especially in areas where snakes, spiders, or other venomous critters are a known possibility, always monitor your furbaby and keep an eye out for danger. As needed, research the wildlife of areas you will be, so that you know what snakes, spiders, and other critters of which to be cautious. Of course, if your kitty or pup is bitten by a spider or snake, especially a known venomous one, do not hesitate to seek veterinary care. In many such cases, counteracting the venom in a timely manner is crucial.