Friendly Fill-Ins

Who's ready to fill-in the Friendly Fill-Ins? In case you missed them yesterday, you can find them below. Ellen of 15andmeowing crafted up the first two, and I came up with the second two.

1. When it is hot, I _________.

2. I am looking forward to _________ this month.

3. The theme song of my life would be _________.

4. There is no such thing as _________.

Of course, I filled these in myself. Here's how I did!

1. When it is hot, I hibernate.
(I enjoy being outdoors in livable conditions. These hot and humid days of late, though, they're not livable. So, I hunker down inside with the air conditioning as much as possible. My heart goes out to all of the homeless people and animals who are not so lucky.)

2. I am looking forward to reading the books on my to-read list for this month.

(I have some books coming up on my to-read list that I'm really looking forward to. One of them is Clowders by Vanessa Morgan. I bought this book the second I read Melissa and Mudpie's review of it a few months back. I can't believe I'm just now getting to it, and I'm incredibly eager to start it.)

3. The theme song of my life would be "Soft Kitty".

(Part of me feels silly for giving this answer, yet the other part of me thinks this little tune pretty much sums up my life. "Soft Kitty" is essentially a cute semblance of a lullaby that is featured on none other than The Big Bang Theory. If you want to watch a clip of the show in which one of the characters sings the song, just click here.)

4. There is no such thing as a stupid question.

(I'm sure we've all heard questions that to us seem a bit, well, ridiculous. But, when you think about it, we all have different interests and knowledge, and so what sounds like a silly question to one of us might very well be a legitimate query to another. For example, my sister often can't help but roll her eyes when I ask her certain technological questions. Other times she jumps straight to laughing out loud, right in my face. But, that's because she has a keen interest in and grasp of how technology works, and I most definitely do not.)

Now it's your turn!

To add your link to the Friendly Fill-Ins Linky list, just click HERE!

You can also click on the badge below to add your link.

You are also welcome to complete the fill-ins in the comments below,

or in the comments on Ellen's blog, 15andmeowing.

***

Don't worry, we didn't forget to give you your Eddy fix today. Let's be honest, though, we can't promise much. This girl is just not into sitting still these days. Perhaps that's in part because Eddy is still very, very suspicious of the new kittens, Tonks and Winky. Those kittens just can't be trusted, you know. If they get too close, you have to run away really, really fast. After all, kittens are best enjoyed from afar, or from behind a safe barrier. Honestly, if the kittens get too close, Eddy looks a little something like this:

(The perfectionist in me cringes at sharing this photo.

I hope you all don't mind not getting anything resembling a clear and crisp kitty picture today.

Eddy decided that just wasn't going to happen. As always.)

Now, how about an update on how kittens Tonks and Winky are integrating into the family? Overall, it's going mostly well. Evan, Thimble, and Toby tend to think the kittens need to mature a bit and stop pouncing them, but in the grand scheme of things, they do great with them. Pup Astrid still has to be supervised with them, because they are indeed small, they are still not 100% sure what she is, and they excite her a bit.

And then there's Eddy. When the kittens are out and about playing throughout the house, I still keep a baby gate up in my bedroom doorway, since that is Eddy's favorite room as well as her safe haven. My room is where Eddy can feel safely tucked away from the kittens of whom she is a tad bit terrified. That being said, she does often willingly, and sometimes even eagerly, watch them from the other side of the gate. I have tried offering for her to leave my room and go play with the kittens, and while she sometimes acts like she might try, she then always sort of chickens out and runs back into my room. I occasionally carry a kitten or two into my room for Eddy to sniff them. She's not thrilled with that. She never hisses when I do it, but she often scurries away, sometimes beneath the bed.

Then there's the fact that, a few days ago, I didn't realize Winky's close proximity as I tried to sneak into my bedroom. As I moved the baby gate to enter, the little black kitten darted beneath my feet and right into the room. And where did she go? Directly under the bed with Eddy. All I heard was one hiss from Eddy, which I thought was pretty darn good, all things considered. That being said, Winky was just a little too intrigued by Eddy, who wanted no part of the kitten's antics. So, I lured Winky out from under my bed with her favorite toy and removed her from the situation. Eddy waited a few minutes before coming back out from beneath the bed, and then glared at the kittens through the baby gate for something like an hour.

Eddy is so timid and skittish, the poor girl, and I hope she'll come to some sort of compromise with the kittens. I'm hoping we'll get there. It may take months and months, but perhaps we'll eventually get there. Wish us luck.

Happy Friday, friends!

***

Our Doodle of the Day:

We're not quite done yet with our most recent series of bookish doodles. So, here's another one for you.

***

Our Tip of the Day:

Yesterday, we mentioned some of the benefits of growing cat grass indoors for your kitty. We wanted to offer a couple more tips in this same line of thought. First, you don't only have to grow cat grass in small pots from which your kitty can have a bit of a green snack. Another option is to create for your kitty a cat grass bed. For example, you could grow some cat grass in a larger pot, and some cats will enjoy this grassy environment for napping or playing purposes. Cats' ancestors out in the wild often live, sleep, and even play in this type of grassy environment, so why not our domesticated kitties?

Another option is to create beds or play areas out of artificial grass, which can again give off the idea of a more wild environment for your kitty. Most synthetic grass materials are safe for pets, but you should of course still always double check, or simply look for ones that are specifically designed to be pet-friendly. There are, in fact, artificial grass toys, scratchers, and beds that are specifically designed for cats. Did you know there are even artificial grass potty mats for dogs, or even cats? All in all, artificial grass is not only low-maintenance, but can also have beneficial effects for your kitty. It can offer them a place to play or snooze, all while mimicking grassy environments found out in the wild. If you think your cat might enjoy cat grass or synthetic grass in the form of a bed or play area, perhaps look into setting this up for them.