Thoroughly Poetic Thankful Thimble Thursday

Hello and happy Thursday! As per usual, we're going to start this Thursday off with the Thoroughly Poetic Thursday challenge, which is of course hosted by none other than Angel Sammy and Teddy.

Each week, our hosts give us a photo prompt to inspire our poetic endeavors. This week's image is this cozy one here:

Do you know what the first thing that came into my head was when I saw that photo? Cat cafés! Despite their growing popularity, I have yet to visit a cat café, yet I want to do so very badly. That may or may not be why the image above immediately had my mind wandering to those eateries where kitties abound. And that is the plain and simple reason why this is the poem I wrote this week:

The Cat Café

The year was 2018,

And Izzy was turning the big 13.

She had but one wish for her teenage birthday,

And that was to pay a visit to The Cat Café.

It had just opened days ago,

The Cat Café on Morris Road.

It was said that the café was absolutely filled,

With cats who would meet you with meows and trills.

Izzy's parents thought this a perfectly easy gift,

And they booked a reservation swifter than swift.

For her birthday, Izzy simply could not wait.

She hardly cared what food would be on her plate.

Making feline friends at The Cat Café was her plan.

She could not wait to make the trip in their minivan.

Finally, Izzy's birthday arrived.

She hopped in the van and awaited the drive.
After what seemed like an eternity and more,
Izzy's parents finally headed out the door.
She encouraged them to pick up the pace,
With nothing but impatience adorning her face.

After a drive that seemed to go on for days,
They finally arrived at that wonderful place.
The sign above the door was in the shape of a whiskered cat head,
With The Cat Café painted upon it in a bold ruby red.

Izzy and her parents saw cats and more cats when they opened the door.
Over ran a dozen of the felines, and then two dozen more.
Boundless excitement Izzy could not help but show,
As each and every cat meowed its hello.

After Izzy had greeted every single cat in sight,
Her father asked, "So, what's on the menu tonight?"
He rubbed his stomach as it rumbled quite loudly.
Then he added, "I sure hope dessert is a great big brownie!"

A little black cat was chowing down on some bread.
In between bites the cat mewed and said,
"Did you think we were here to wait on you?
No, sir, you're here to serve us our food!"
Izzy's parents appeared to be in shock,
And at the words the cat spoke they did balk.

Her mother's sudden pleas to leave were persistent,
While Izzy herself declared, "This is brilliant!"
She had come here to make some new furry friends,
And what better way than by serving them delicious odds and ends?

An orange tabby handed them aprons,
And informed them he was really craving some bacon.
Izzy's parents scoffed and groaned,
While the girl assured the cat his meal would not be postponed.

Izzy found her way to kitchen,
Scurrying along as if partaking in a cooking competition.
She searched and searched until the bacon she did find,
Izzy placed it in a skillet and began to make it perfectly fried.

Izzy's mother declared, "Nothing but rude are these kittens!"
Izzy could only reply, "How are you not totally smitten?"
Flipping the bacon to perfect the other side,
Izzy asked her mother how she could be so snide.

When the bacon was cooked to absolute perfection,
Izzy arranged it on a plate with great reflection.
She wanted it to look just right,
So that it would be pleasing to her new feline friend's taste and sight.

Izzy was happier than happy when the cat ate the bacon right up.
He even asked if, with him, she wanted to sup.
Izzy certainly could not turn that offer down.
She did not even notice when her parents then frowned,
As the orange tabby pointed at them and did sound,
"You two, make us some meatballs that are perfectly browned!"

***

As with every Thursday, we're also here to give you a dose of Thimble, and to participate in Brian's Thankful Thursday Blog Hop.

Last week, we had days and days of rain. There was even thunder, lightning, high winds, and downed power lines. This week, though, we're getting lots of sunshine. See?

When there's sun, Thimble is always thankful for it. We're all thankful for it. You know what else we're thankful for? All of you!

***

Of course, we didn't forget about tomorrow's Friendly Fill-Ins. Ellen of 15andmeowing is the mastermind behind the first two, and I came up with the second two.

1. I would like tickets to _________.

2. Please don't ask me to _________.

3. I'd rather _________ than _________.

4. By this time next year, _________.

***

Our Tip of the Day:

Can you believe we're still talking about that litter box? Today's tip in our litter box series is to take your own health and safety into consideration when scooping that box. For example, do you have asthma? Or, does dust from the litter box bother you in any way? If so, wear a mask when scooping, or at least be sure to blow your nose as soon as you are finished scooping the litter. Another safety precaution is to wear disposable gloves when scooping the litter box. Extra safety precautions are especially something to take into consideration if you are pregnant or in any way at risk for toxoplasmosis. Another reason to wear gloves when scooping the litter box is if your cat has giardia or any other parasites that can be passed on to you or the other furbabies in your life. Especially if you don't wear gloves when scooping the litter, then of course thoroughly wash your hands after you've finished with the chore. It is of course important to make sure that the litter box is a safe and sanitary place for our kitties, but it's also important to ensure it's the same for ourselves. After all, our kitties depend on us to remain healthy and able to care for them!