A Birthday Girl and the Letter Z

Guess what? It's some kitty's birthday today. And which kitty is another year younger today? This girl!

Today, my happy and active girl Eddy is 3 years old. Where has the time gone? She was roughly 10 weeks old when I adopted her.

Eddy had a favorite blanket, fuzzy toy, and stuffed lamb buddy when she was a kitten. Can you spot them all in that there photo? We're thinking you probably can.

I adopted Eddy as a special needs girl from a local rescue. She had a head tilt, and she would spin in circles or sometimes tip over when walking or running. Facial nerve paralysis on her right side also resulted in her right eye not fully closing, even when sleeping. Also, her facial nerve paralysis caused her mouth to never fully close on the right side.

An injury during her trapping, as well as toxoplasmosis, were among the guesses as to what caused Eddy's symptoms. In the end, though, no definitive answers really revealed themselves. That really doesn't matter now, though, because Eddy began to show great improvement after her adoption.

Though her facial nerve paralysis and head tilt still remain (which I think are adorable!), she no longer spins in circles or tips over. Rather, Eddy has grown into an active, fun-loving, goofy, happy, and healthy girl. I would even go so far as to say that, despite all she had to conquer as a special needs kitten, she is now the most athletic cat in the house. This girl's antics never fail to keep me on my toes, which is something I love about my Eddy.

Now, in honor of this special day of hers, there's a bit of a party going on for Eddy over here. You're all invited! We have lots of treats, toys galore, niptastic fun and games, and lots of bouncing off of walls and climbing of furniture going on. Feel free join in on the fun!

Happy birthday, Eddy! Your momma loves you bunches!

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Today is also, believe it or not, the final day of the April A to Z Challenge.

The last letter of the A to Z Challenge is, of course, Z. Our theme throughout this challenge has involved putting animal-inspired twists on classic story titles. Unless I'm forgetting a really obvious classic story that begins with the letter Z, I had an incredibly difficult time finding a title to use for the letter Z. I had to search high and low, and finally found a very, very obscure 1890 poem titled "Zanthon – My Friend" by Elizabeth Stoddard. Using this mysterious poem, I drew this random little doodle:

We sure had a blast with the A to Z Challenge. We hope you enjoyed seeing our alphabetical doodles just as much as we enjoyed creating them!

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Our Tip of the Day:

 

Are you ready for another Spring safety tip for your furbabies? As certain insects and buggers start to make an appearance this time of year, be cautious of those that could be harmful. For example, just as with humans, bee stings can lead to allergic reactions in cats and dogs. These reactions can include mild swelling at the site of the sting, or a full anaphylactic reaction, such as with difficulty breathing. For this reason, always try to keep your furbaby away from bees and other similarly dangerous critters. Keep your furbaby out of gardens where bees and other such critters might frequent, and don't leave your kitty or pup unattended in an area known for its bees and so forth.

We'll also now remind you of some other critters that we not too long ago mentioned in another tip. So, don't forget that some caterpillars and butterflies, such as those that consume milkweed, can be toxic for furbabies to ingest. There are also dangerous spiders of which to be cautious, of course including the brown recluse and black widow. There are even some toads and frogs that can be poisonous for our furbabies to ingest.

All in all, this time of year, some incredible critters start to make appearances. However, some of these critters can lead to serious effects in our furbabies. This means we must always be cautious with our furbabies around any critters that we know are dangeorus, and even those with which we are not familiar. And, of course, should your furbaby come into contact with a dangerous insect or other critter, do not hesitate to seek veterinary assistance. What's more, discuss with your veterinarian what you can do to help prevent serious allergic reactions or other emergencies, which can include having diphenhydramine (Benadryl) on hand, and knowing how much to give.