Thoroughly Poetic Thankful Thimble Thursday

We are ready for the Thoroughly Poetic Thursday challenge!

This fun challenge is hosted by Angel Sammy and Teddy. Each week, our fantastic hosts give us a photo prompt to help us in our poetic endeavors. This week's insanely adorable photo is this one right here:

Can you even handle that level of cuteness? We sure can't. Now, there are a number of reasons why the photo above inspired me to write the poem below. One of the reasons very vaguely relates to a project I'm currently working on, and so I think I'll leave it a bit of a secret. So, without further ado, if you'd like to read another of my ridiculously lengthy and random rhymes, here you go:

Little Heroes

We've all heard tales of superheroes,
With their capes and suits and arrows.
Do you know the ones of whom we speak?
There's Superman, who's rarely weak,
And Batman, with justice that he seeks.
Wonder Woman is yet another,
Who was raised by a warrior mother.

Then there are the famous Avengers,
Who go on all sorts of heroic adventures.
There's Iron Man and the Hulk,
The latter a man with green skin and bulk.
Of these heroes' adventures people never bore,
And they include the hammer-wielding Thor.

But let's put those heroes aside for now.
Giving them all the credit should not be allowed.
And why is that, you ask?
Because they are not the only ones up for a heroic task.

Never forget the heroes who don't wear capes.
In truth, heroes come in all sizes and shapes.
In fact, have you ever heard tales of the little heroes?
Their tales should not reach a meager audience of zero.

That's why we're here today,
To tell you a tale of two little heroes who once were stray.
They did not have a home but instead lived on the street.
They also have whiskers, tails, and walk on four feet.
That's right, the heroes of today's tale may not be the norm,
But they were destined for greatness from the day they were born.

In case you missed our little hint,
Let us go through the facts in a quick little sprint.
This tale's heroes are two furry kittens,
And with them their human is really quite smitten.

Our little heroes' names are Perseus and Pandora,
And their human is a girl known as none other than Flora.
Young Flora not long ago found the two kittens on the street,
And that is the story of how they did meet.
Now the kittens have a wonderful home,
With Flora, her parents, and her brother Jerome.

But their story is not as simple as that,
For neither Perseus nor Pandora is an ordinary cat.
And that is what you will now learn,
For this tale is about to take a turn.

And so the little heroes' tale now finally begins,
On a day that boasted grey skies and mighty winds.
Perseus and Pandora snoozed by the window that day,
When suddenly the wind blew something that way.

Through the glass of the window they saw the thing sail by,
And after it a little boy did run and cry.
He was sniffling and let out a little moan,
As he stood in the street looking quite sad and alone.

Perseus was the first to paw at the glass.
For it to open, and quick, was what he did ask.
He was soon joined by his sister Pandora,
Until they were finally noticed by their girl Flora.

The little girl gazed out into the street,
And the sight of the sad boy her eyes did meet.
"That boy could use a hero," Flora did admit.
The kittens meowed their agreement with grit.
And so Flora said, "All right, if you must.
But do make sure you're home before dusk."

Out the window Perseus and Pandora pranced,
And then toward the little boy they advanced.
The kittens mewed and meowed and asked a few questions,
Which was how they learned that kites were the boy's obsession.

Indeed, a kite is what had flown by the window,
Since in the wind the boy's favorite kite had billowed.
The kite had left his grip and took to the sky,
And that was why the boy now did cry.

Perseus and Pandora told the boy not to worry,
For they would get his kite back in a hurry.
And so Perseus put his nose to the air.
He sniffed and sniffed to find the kite's where.

Perseus determined the kite had flown east,
But they could not see it above the buildings and trees.
But that was really no problem at all,
For Pandora was a pro at seeing over everything tall.

Pandora first hopped up on a nearby wall.
Her skill was so great she needed not fear a fall.
Then she skipped and jumped onto a roof and a tree,
So that nearly the entire world she could see.

No sights could Pandora miss from that tall height.
Which is why she quite easily caught sight of the kite!
It still blew and floated through the air.
Pandora knew they must hurry so the kite they could ensnare.

They could not quite yet hurry, though,
For nearby was a squirrel who hung its head low.
Pandora mewed and asked him what was the matter.
The squirrel said, "There is no way I will ever get fatter.
I thought I buried a walnut right here,
But I cannot find it anywhere far or near."

They could not simply leave the squirrel with that conundrum,
For that is something to which the little heroes were not accustomed.
Perseus again put his nose to the test,
And against the ground he even let his ear rest.
He pointed to a nearby spot on the ground,
And told the squirrel that was where his walnut was safe and sound.

Then kittens and the boy ran and ran,
Until they could finally see the kite from where they did stand.
But they had to pause just one more time,
For at the corner stood an old woman of roughly 99.

The elderly woman was waiting to cross the street,
But she was admittedly not very steady on her feet.
Pandora scurried over and helped her cross,
And to her a nice little treat the old woman did toss.

Then the hunt for the kite did continue.
In the distance, the kite was still in view.
The kittens and the boy chased it through town,
Until finally the wind began to die down.
They hoped the kite would fall to the ground,
Instead, around a tall tree limb it did become wound.

"No worries!" the kittens told the boy.
They would return to him his flying toy.
The kite seemed miles high in the tree,
But from the task Perseus and Pandora did not flee.

Together the kittens began to climb,
And that way they reached the kite in no time!
They untangled its string and gripped it tight,
And had it back in the boy's hands long before moonlight.

The boy jumped for joy and thanked the little heroes.
Out of the happy boy a great many gratitudes did flow.
Perseus and Pandora told the boy it was their pleasure.
They were happy to return to him his flying treasure.

After some fun and games with the rescued kite,
Perseus and Pandora bid the boy a good night.
The little heroes returned to their girl Flora at home,
And wondered where their next adventure would lead them to roam.

So, while everyone knows heroes like Superman and the Hulk,
Don't forget heroes exist everywhere, if you know where to look.
After all, heroes come in all shapes and sizes.
Some wear capes, and others furry, four-legged disguises.

***

As per usual on Thursdays, we will now segue to this little cutie.

This here human's sister snapped that photo the other day. She sent it to me when I was away from home, and told me that Thimble was trying to tell her something.

What was it that Thimble was telling my sister? Well, she was letting her know that she shouldn't look up, because something pretty scary was up there.

I guess I have to admit that both my sister and myself have a tad bit of arachnophobia. We had a real battle with this bugger. We may or may not have lost said battle. In other words, I don't know where the spider is. It got away, and there was much panicking.

I sure am thankful for furbabies who warn us of dangers frolicking on the ceiling overhead (even if the humans can't handle the situation).

Of course, we are thankful for so much more. All of us here are grateful that we have each other, and for our family and friends, which certainly includes all of you. We are also thankful for a safe and cool home this summer. We purr, woof, and pray that all individuals could know such comfort.

***

Last but not least, we have for you the fill-ins for tomorrow's Friendly Fill-Ins challenge. Ellen of 15andmeowing crafted up the first two, and I came up with the last two.

1. My neighbors _________.

2. The last thing I purchased online was _________.

3. I have never _________.

4. Anything is possible if _________.

Wishing all of you friends of ours a wonderful day!

***

Our Tip of the Day:

Let's continue on with our food tips. There is sometimes debate over the health benefits of a dry versus a moist food diet for our furbabies. In some cases, dry food can potentially help keep teeth free of tartar and other such issues. This is not a guarantee, however, as animals on a dry food diet can still end up needing dental cleanings. Nevertheless, in some cases, a dry versus a moist food diet can very well affect the teeth. For example, does your furbaby have painful teeth, or no teeth at all? In this case, a moist food diet is often recommended. There are also special diets formulated for dental health, in the case that a cat or dog might benefit from this.

Not only are the teeth affected by dry versus moist food, though, but also other parts of the body. Moist food, for example, is obviously high in moisture content, and so it is often recommended in the diet of any furbaby who might benefit from taking in plenty of moisture. This would include animals with kidney disease, as well as those prone to UTIs, crystals, and so forth.

It's also important to think of the foods that cats and dogs eat in the wild. They often eat the meat of prey, which is not all that crunchy and which is high in moisture, and which therefore might indicate that moist food is more in line with how they would eat in the wild. Of course, though, sometimes it all comes down to the cat or dog's preference. Some cats and dogs refuse to eat dry food, and some refuse to eat moist food. In such cases, we have to take this into consideration and select foods that they will consume, as food intake is of course crucial.