Tonks Toesies on Tuesday

Much like Eddy, kittens Tonks and Winky just don't like to sit still, most especially not for the camera. The other day, though, I caught Tonks sleeping (gasp!). She awoke when I approached with the camera, but she at least sat still for a couple of photos before jumping up and running amok. She even allowed for a toesies shot!

Since we've got Tonks here today, how about we give you all an update on how Tonks and her sister Winky are integrating into the family? For the most part, it's going very well. Big kitties Evan, Thimble, and Toby are all more or less fine with the kittens. If and when needed, they'll give the kittens a lesson or two on personal space. Evan is the big kid who interacts with the kittens the most, as he and the kittens love to play tag together.

Pup Astrid is also, for the most part, great with the kittens. Tonks has taken a liking to sneaking up on Astrid and slapping her. She especially loves to smack Astrid's paws around. Usually, Astrid just ignores Tonks until she gets bored and walks away. Perhaps Astrid is a pro at handling this, though, because as a kitten, Eddy did the exact same thing to her.

Speaking of Eddy, it's her relationship with the kittens that is the primary holdup. To put it simply, Eddy still does not like the kittens. Eddy has never been all that keen on other cats anyway (well, except for her beloved Evan), but the kittens are apparently some of the worst she's ever met. It certainly doesn't help, though, that when the kittens have access to Eddy, they tend to fixate on her and follow her into her safe haven beneath my bed. Though she hisses, growls, spits, and slaps, the kittens seem to think she's the best thing since sliced bread, all while she thinks they're tiny little devils.

On occasion, I try to let Eddy and the kittens directly intermingle, but Eddy immediately gets beyond irritated with the kittens' forceful nature. It also breaks my heart to see Eddy get chased under the bed by the kittens, who are only being playful, yet also happen to be a tad bit invasive. So, for the most part, Eddy and the kittens are still separated from each other. They can always still see and touch each other through baby gates and the like, but direct interaction between Eddy and the kittens just hasn't worked out all that great yet.

Slowly but surely, I think I see signs that the kittens might outgrow their fixation on nonreciprocating Eddy. I also sometimes see signs that Eddy's dislike for the kittens might be very, very slowly diminishing. The other day, Eddy even did a happy stretch when she saw Tonks. So what if she immediately thereafter hissed, growled, spit, and punched Tonks through the baby gate? I mean, baby steps, right? It's taking a long time, and may take a long time more, but, hopefully, we'll someday live in a home that doesn't require baby gates for peace and quiet. Hopefully.

Well, perhaps that's enough rambling for one day. We hope all of you friends of ours have a terrific Tuesday!

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Our Doodle of the Day:

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Our Tip of the Day:

Today's autumn pet safety tip is all about those cool fall temperatures. When the weather starts to cool, take into consideration what steps you might have to take to ensure that your furbaby stays warm. Don't forget that cooler weather can be felt both outdoors and indoors.

If it's growing cold outside, monitor your pup or kitty when outdoors, and don't leave them outdoors for long periods of time. In addition, if you care for strays, ferals, or other outdoor kitties of pups, do your best to ensure they have some form of shelter in which to stay out of the wind and to stay as warm as possible. Even a storage container or a Styrofoam cooler turned upside, with a hole cut in the side as an entrance, can allow for some warmth on cool days. You can add blankets or straw to help strays, ferals, and other outdoor cats or dogs huddle up and stay warm in such a shelter. Do keep in mind, though, that blankets can become damp and cold if rained on, which is why straw might be an ideal option for helping outdoor furbabies stay warm in a shelter.

Of course, don't forget that even our indoor furbabies can feel the drop in temperature this time of year. Floors can go from being cool respites on hot summer days to being drafty and chilly in the autumn. For this reason, try to ensure that your cat or dog has somewhere off of the floor to sleep, especially in these cooler seasons. You can put out extra blankets or pet beds for them to warmly nap on. Especially as we get further into autumn, safe and pet-friendly heating blankets or heated pet beds could also be put out for your furbaby. Then again, you can also help your kitty or pup stay warm with some extra lap time!