Mancat Monday Motivation

On this Mancat Monday, Evan agreed to let another mancat in the house take a turn.

Our housemate Toby says hello! In case you can't tell, he's quite proud of his whiskers.

Toby's also quite proud of his black furs, and his tuxie patches of white. Speaking of this mancat's black furs, that sort of relates to our Spark for today.

The Sparks blog hop, hosted by Annie of McGuffy's Reader, is a way for us to share positive thoughts in this often negative world. So, a positive thought we will share today.

I have always seen this quote attributed to Albert Einstein. But, the perfectionist in me decided to double check the facts before posting this. Now the world wide web is giving me mixed signals, and saying that perhaps it was not, in fact, Einstein who spoke these words. Regardless of who spoke them, though, this is the quote I wanted to share today.

What's more, I felt compelled to use this quote for my Spark after reading one of Friday's Friendly Fill-Ins that none other than our host Annie shared. With that fill-in, she made the following statement about herself: "I am the 'proverbial' black sheep in my family." Though I often hear black sheep being used as a negative comparison, I have always thought being the black sheep is a wonderful thing. It means you're different, and being unashamedly different is an admirable skill that takes grit and confidence. So, never be afraid to be the black sheep.

Wishing you all a magnificent Monday!

***

Our 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 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.