Monday, April 9, 2018

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?

***

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



***

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.

13 comments:

Marg said...

We have several around here that are head bumpers. The main one is Split. Great pictures of you Evan. You all have a great day.

Darla M Sands said...

Adorable photos! Our Tilly likes to head bump. She also screams for attention a lot to SO during the day. That gets old to the point she sometimes gets kicked out of the room. ~sigh~ Happy Blogging!

Sandee said...

Too cute. I had a kitty once that did this. Many didn't though.

Love your Spark.

Have a purrfect day, Evan. My best to your mom. ♥

Eastside Cats said...

Chili Bruce rubs his face on us, but The POM is an extreme head-bunter...even tipping over food bowls to push his noggin into my hands!

da tabbies o trout towne said...

dood.....yur blooperz R better N R act shoo ul fotoz !!!!!! N joy yur day buddy ~ ☺☺☺♥♥♥

pilch92 said...

Evan is a cutie and so sweet. Great choice for H and I like the spark and drawing to go with it. Excellent tips too, ear mites are hard to get rid of. Tallulah had them when we found her. It looks like was until magnified, then you see the creepy crawlies.

The Swiss Cats said...

Zorro is our main headbutter. Evan is so cute ! Purrs

Fr. Tom Fish said...

Your mom got some great pictures of your headbutting cuteness, there furriend! - Tom

Melissa, Mudpie and Angel Truffles (Mochas, Mysteries and Meows) said...

Aww, that's so sweet! Those photos show just how much you're loved :)

Mark's Mews (Marley, Lori, Loki, and Binq) said...

We have to smile. We have a blooper pic for tomorrow...

messymimi said...

Tripod SissyCat will heat butt on occasion, then use her remaining front paw to grab your hand and pull it to her mouth, gently nibble, then lick and try to get you to rub her head.

Love your Spark! Little things mean so much.

Anonymous said...

Teddy is a major head butt boy. He loves for me to put my face down close to his so he can "love" my face and I return the favor. We do that frequently in fact. He also head butts people's legs and gets a lot of pets that way! He's just a big love bug and we are so happy he is.

Love, Pam

The Island Cats said...

Both me and Wally are big headbutters around here. It's a draw as to which one of us is better at it. ~Ernie