Headbutts and Hoppers

Today is Mancat Monday. Evan was all excited to snap some shots of his handsome mancat self to share today. But, he got distracted and ended up with a bunch of bloopers instead.

Can you see what's going on in that bright and blurry shot? Evan is a notorious headbutter, and during this photo shoot he got distracted by the knee of this here mom of his. In other words, Evan simply could not help but headbutt his mom as she crawled around on the floor during his photo shoot.

I guess nothing says love like a knee to the face.

So, who of our kitty friends is a headbutter like Evan?

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Now, though, moving past the blurry headbutt shots, we are moving on to the A to Z Challenge.

We'll again repeat our A to Z Challenge theme for anyone who might not know. We are putting animal-inspired twists on the titles of classic stories. Then, for each new title, we doodle up an illustration.

The letter we're at today is H. The classic I used for H is one I've mentioned here on our blog before. It's one of my favorite books, and it's one that my father read to me when I was a very small child. And that is none other than The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien. It has now, though, become The Hoppit.

Bunnies can go on adventures, too, right?

Speaking of the original The Hobbit, it is of course the source of the Sparks we chose 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. Some of my favorite quotes in life have come from the mind of J.R.R. Tolkien, and this is one of them:

"I found it is the small everyday deeds of ordinary folk that keep the darkness at bay.

Small acts of kindness and love." 

-J.R.R. Tolkien (The Hobbit)

We are wishing you all a magnificent Monday

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Our Tip of the Day:

We're in the midst of tips regarding parasites and their prevention. We have so far covered heartworms, fleas, tapeworms, roundworms, hookworms, and whipworms. Now, today, it's all about those ear mites.

As is probably obvious, ear mites affect the ears, living primary in the ear canal. For what it's worth, ear mites are more commonly seen in cats, making dogs the luckier, less typical victims of these buggers. Ear mites can be spread directly from cat to cat.

Now, what will you notice if your cat, or dog, has an ear mite infestation? Your furbaby's ears will itch, they will scratch at them, there can therefore be inflammation in the area, and they may even shake their heads or hold their ears low due to the irritation. You also may see dark, brownish debris in the ears, which is commonly described as resembling coffee grounds.

If you do see any of the above symptoms in your kitty or pup, have them seen by a veterinarian. Ear mites can ultimately lead to secondary ear infections and other similar issues, so taking care of them is of course best for your furbaby's health and happiness. Your veterinarian can test for ear mites by swabbing the ears and looking at the debris under a microscope.

When it comes to treatment, it is of course best to use medications prescribed directly by your veterinarian. There are drops or other treatments that can offer a relatively fast-acting eradication of the ear mites. In addition, there are monthly preventatives that cover ear mites. These can typically help take care of existing mites, as well as prevent a future ear mite infestation. Discuss any and all such options with your veterinarian, especially if your furbaby is largely outdoors and potentially more susceptible to such infestations.