Farewell to 2019

All of us here will be trying to stay up until midnight to ring in the New Year, to bid 2019 farewell, to welcome 2020. That being said, during that attempt we'll probably end up like Evan here.

Nothing like sleeping your way into the New Year, huh?

We hope all of you have a happy New Year's Eve! We're wishing you a merry, bright, and peaceful final day of 2019. Oh, and merry Seventh Day of Christmas!

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Festive Flashback of the Day

I decided to share the exact same doodle I shared on New Year's Eve last year.

Of course, I did have to change that taxi's licence plate to make this doodle a farewell to 2019, since it's most certainly not 2018 like it suggested before the alteration.

Happy 2019! Happy almost 2020!

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Our Tip of the Day:

We've been discussing care of ferals and strays during the winter months, and over the past few days our discussions have all been about food and water. We do have yet another tip on this specific topic. When it comes to offering food to ferals and strays, try to keep the location and timing of the feedings as consistent as possible. Keeping a predictable feeding schedule and food location can help an outdoor cat know when and where they can find food. Conserving energy is a very important thing for outdoor animals in the winter, and knowing when and where they can successfully venture out for a meal can indeed help ferals and strays save much-needed energy, rather than wasting their energy only to find no food present at their feeding station. Therefore, if you feed ferals and strays, keep in mind that it is very beneficial to the animals if you keep their food on a consistent schedule and in the same location.

Merry Mancat Monday

December 25th may have come and gone, but today is only the Sixth Day of Christmas. We of course don't even consider taking down our Christmas decorations until after the Twelve Days of Christmas are over. Even then, our decorations will probably still be up until close to the middle of January. This here human is in no rush to see the Christmas season go, and neither are the furbabies around here.

When Evan's ready for a snooze, he more often than not picks a spot next to his favorite Christmas tree. I don't blame him. I like napping by the light of the Christmas tree, too, especially when Evan's there to snuggle.

Merry Sixth Day of Christmas!

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Festive Doodle of the Day

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Tip of the Day

Today's tip on winter feral care is to remember to put water out for ferals and strays you care for. This sounds and often feels impossible, given that water freezes in cold temperatures. However, it is often possible to make water accessible to ferals or strays even in the winter months. Yesterday's tip discussed ways to successfully feed moist food to ferals in the winter, and most of those methods will also work for water. You can start by simply checking the water as often as possible, and removing ice or refreshing the water to ensure that it remains a liquid and not a frozen solid. You can also warm the water bowl, or even put out warm water, to delay its freezing. Other options include putting microwavable heat pads beneath the water bowl, using an electric heated bowl, or using another heat source in the area where the water is kept. With all such options, though, always keep safety in mind, and only choose and use heated products that best prevent burns and fires.

There are a couple of other considerations to make when putting water outside for ferals and strays in the winter months. To begin, as is possible, try to keep water bowls elevated off of the cold ground, to help keep it from freezing rapidly. In addition to this, using a deep bowl inside of a wide bowl will also help it to freeze less rapidly. Another option is to have a source of running water, such as by offering water in some sort of fountain, as moving water does not as easily freeze. And yet another way to help keep water from freezing rapidly in the winter is to put the bowl in the sun.

It also important to note that, as is possible, try to avoid putting water near where ferals or strays might sleep. This is because spills can indeed happen, and damp bedding material can make warmth and comfort difficult. So, there are many considerations to make when successfully offering water to ferals and strays in the winter months, but it is indeed possible, and of course also beneficial to them and their health.

A Very Slothful Sunday

Sunday is a day for slothful behavior, don't you think?

That there Santa sloth is a cat kicker toy that the kitties here have been enjoying all Christmas season. Thimble especially enjoys when I sprinkle catnip on her festive sloth friend. In fact, the above shot was very likely taken when Thimble was coming down from a catnip high.

Thimble and all of us here wish you a very merry Fifth Day of Christmas!

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Festive Doodle of the Day

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Tip of the Day

Yesterday we discussed feeding feral and stray cats outdoors in the cold winter months. As we mentioned yesterday, dry food is a good option in the winter, as it will not freeze like moist food. However, moist food still has its benefits, and so today we're here to give some tips on how to feed moist food outdoors in the cold months with at least some success. To begin, you can resort to putting moist food out only when you know the cat or cats you feed are present, so that they will be able to eat it immediately, giving it little to no time to freeze. Sometimes, though, you might not know when a feral or stray cat will show up for a meal. In such cases, there are ways to potentially offer moist food to ferals and strays, without the moist food freezing rapidly.

To begin, you can simply check on the status of moist food as often as possible, and warm or replace food that has become frozen. What's more, a source of heat will obviously help keep moist food from freezing at a fast rate, although you of course have to ensure that this source of heat is safe. This could mean doing something as simple as warming the bowl in which you put the moist food, or warming the moist food itself, to a safe temperature. There are also both electric and non-electric heat sources that can work for keeping bowls and their contents warm. For example, there are microwavable, or otherwise warmable, heating pads that can be placed under bowls to help prevent the rapid freezing of moist food that is fed to outdoor cats in the winter. There are also electric heated bowls that could keep moist food warm enough to prevent freezing. Other options of course include using a more extensive heat source within an entire feeding station or shelter, details which we will further discuss in upcoming tips. One important detail, though, as we mentioned just a few moments ago, is ensure that any heat source you use is safe and that it will not cause burns or fires. Always do your research before using any item that entails electricity and heating, and choose and use accordingly and wisely.

The last note to make here is that you should still of course make sure that moist food is not spoiling, such as if it manages to get too warm or sits out for too long. If a heated bowl or heat pad causes moist food to remain warm for long periods of time, do be sure to remove any uneaten food prior to spoilage. It might be cold outside during the winter months, but depending on the methods you use and the duration of time that outdoor cats' moist food is sitting out, it is always best to be aware of the potential for gastrointestinal or other issues that could result from the consumption of spoiled food.

Caturday Art With a Rhyme on the Side

It's time for Athena's Caturday Art Blog Hop!

I mentioned a couple days ago that today's doodle would be a bit different than our usual Caturday Art drawings, because today's is an illustration for this week's poem. We usually post our poems and their illustrations on Thursdays, the day of Angel Sammy's Thoroughly Poetic Thursday challenge. This week, however, Christmas festivities changed our schedule a tad bit. That's why we have our poem and its illustration today. We'll do things a bit different than usual this time around and we'll share our poem's illustration before we share the poem itself.

Now, let's backtrack and remind everyone how this poetic fun works. On Thursdays, Angel Sammy hosts the Thoroughly Poetic Thursday challenge.

Each week, our host shares a photo prompt to help guide our poetic endeavors. The photo prompt for this past week was this beautiful winter image here:

Given that I celebrate the Twelve Days of Christmas, and that today is only the Fourth Day of Christmas, I of course wanted this week's poem to still be all shades of festive. So, if you're looking for some continued Christmas vibes, feel free to read the silly and exceedingly long rhyme below.

Once Upon a Christmas Eve

Once upon a Christmas Eve,

Santa found himself in a predicament quite risky.

It all started well, his sleigh loaded with toys and gifts of all kinds.

In order to deliver them, he simply could not fall behind.

Santa readied Rudolph and the other reindeer right on time,

Making sure they were well fed and properly in line.

Rudolph's nose was wonderfully red and aglow,

And right on time Santa and his sleigh were ready to go.

"Now, Dasher! Now, Dancer. Now, Prancer and Vixen!"

Santa called to each reindeer, and of course they did listen.

Each and every one knew exactly what they were meant to do,

And with Santa and his sleigh into the sky they flew.

They dashed through the sky faster than fast.

Santa delivered gift after gift and joyfully laughed.

That is, until the sleigh made a strange sort of motion,

And suddenly they were plummeting straight toward an ocean.

Rudolph and the other reindeer pulled the sleigh as fast as they could.

They missed the ocean by many miles, but then crash landed in some woods.

With the help of a little Christmas magic,

No one was left injured in a manner even remotely tragic.

Santa, his reindeer, and even the gifts were unharmed.

The sleigh, though, its condition left Santa quite alarmed.

Nothing Santa or the reindeer did would lift the sleigh off the ground.
It refused to budge, instead insisting on remaining snowbound

Santa let out a great sigh and then stood and looked around.

They had landed in a snowy forest of trees,

With not much else around to be seen.

Then, though, Santa caught sight of smoke.

From a chimney it came, that he did know.
Santa smiled and clapped as he said, "Now I recognize this place very well.
I believe everything will now be perfectly fine and swell."

Santa then told the reindeer to stay right where they were,
And that he'd hurry back in a bounce and a blur.

Just like that, Santa found the house with the chimney smoke.
Out front stood a rather friendly sort of bloke.
The fellow waved and laughed as he said,
"Santa, is that you, my dear old friend?"

Santa waved back and said, "Ho ho ho!
I'm glad to know you're still a believer in me, Joe."
Joe replied, "Of course I'm a believer, Santa!
I'm you're biggest believer here in the great land of Montana."

Joe clapped and added, "Santa, you brought young me my very first kitten.
All these years later, I'm now on my fifth and sixth cats, Socks and Mittens."
He pointed up at the windows of his house.
Joe said, "My cats are inside, and neither is as quiet as a mouse.
If you look through those windows you'll see right where they are.
They're each climbing their own Christmas tree, right up to the stars."

Santa waved at Socks and Mittens and let out a jolly laugh.
He said, "On this year's nice list, Joe, are both you and your cats.
In order to deliver your gifts, though, I have a favor to ask,
But only if you're up for a tad bit of a task."

"I'm more than happy to help you, Santa!" Joe declared.
And so Santa asked, "Do you still have that sleigh I brought you last year?"
Joe of course still had that festive sleigh he loved so dear,
A fact that Santa was beyond happy to hear.

Santa explained to Joe his current situation,
How his sleigh was now stuck in its current location.
Santa and Joe made a quick yet efficient plan,
And to his barn over yonder Joe quickly ran.

After a short bit of time he emerged with a sleigh pulled by a horse.
The sleigh was red like Santa's and festively decked, of course.
Even the horse pulling the sleigh looked more than festive,
Donning a red blanket and a wreath quite impressive.
Joe introduced the friendly horse as Gus,
Who was more or less the size of a bus.

Just like that, Gus pulled Santa and Joe in the sleigh,
And off to the location of Santa's crash they dashed away.
They found the stalled sleigh and the reindeer in no time at all.
When Rudolph saw them, he could not hide the fact that he was appalled.

"I know what you're thinking, Rudolph," Santa did say.
"To answer your question, yes, a horse can also pull Santa in a sleigh."
Rudolph shook his head and let out a grunt.
The red-nosed reindeer never thought he'd witness such as stunt.

The plan Santa and Joe formed was really quite simple.
Santa's reindeer would be hooked up to Joe's sleigh to get them out of this pickle.
A little Christmas magic would make this unbroken sleigh fly just fine,
And all of the children's gifts would still be delivered just in time.

And so that was how they proceeded.
Just like that, the reindeer were lined up and Santa was seated.
Gus whinnied in excitement as he watched the whole thing happen.
Even Rudolph couldn't help but feel the same sort of excitement.
They were finally back on track on that Christmas Eve night.
They were finally ready to return to the sky on their festive flight.

"Now, Dasher! Now, Dancer! Now, Prancer and Vixen!"
Santa again called out to his reindeer, and again they did listen.
Joe's sleigh could now fly,
And it lifted off right up into the sky.

Santa waved at Joe and Gus below.
He laughed and said, "Ho ho ho!"
Leaving gifts for Joe, Socks, Mittens, and of course Gus was the first stop of this flight.
Then they continued on as Santa bellowed, "Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!"

Merry Fourth Day of Christmas!

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Tip of the Day

We've started a series of tips on how you can assist strays and ferals during the cold winter months. Today's tip regards feeding strays and ferals, and it is to make sure you understand the pros and cons of feeding dry versus moist food during the winter months. Dry food often takes more energy than moist food to digest, and animals need to conserve as much energy as possible to stay warm in the winter. However, that being said, moist food that is not immediately eaten can freeze during the winter months due to its high moisture content. For this reason, it is typically best to ensure that dry food is offered to strays and ferals in the winter months, as it will not freeze and therefore will be readily available even after sitting out for some time. All in all, though, it is possible and often beneficial to feed both dry and moist food to outdoor strays and ferals. Tomorrow we will further discuss how to successfully feed moist food to strays and ferals in the winter.

Friendly Fill-Ins and Photo Fails

Hello and happy Friday! It's time to fill in some fill-ins. Are you ready? In case you missed the fill-in statements yesterday, I'll share them again here. Ellen of 15andmeowing came up with the first two, and I came up with the second two.

1. On New Year's Eve, I _________.

2. My focus word for 2020 is _________.

3. _________ is the best thing about starting a new year.

4. My personal goals for 2020 include _________.


And here's how I filled these in:

1. On New Year's Eve, I attempt to stay up until midnight.
(As a kid and teenager, staying up until midnight was no problem at all. Now that I'm an adult, I usually have to nap at some point in the afternoon or evening to make it until midnight. I like to ring in the New Year awake with my family, but fighting eyelids of lead is a real struggle.)

2. My focus word for 2020 is serenity.
(I've always liked this word, both how it sounds and what it means. Sometimes I let myself get way too focused on everything that lies ahead and everything I need and want to do, but all of that often leaves me feeling a bit overwhelmed. That's why this upcoming year I'm going to try harder to achieve some sort of sense of serenity, such as by slowing down and stopping every once in a while to enjoy what the present moment has to offer. I think the chaos that I often let Christmas become really made me realize how I'd like to find a tad bit more peace and quiet in certain moments.)

3. The feeling of a fresh start is the best thing about starting a new year.
(Having a blank slate, or any sort of new starting point, can make things seem so much more clear sometimes. I can't and won't forget everything that 2019 has left me with, but I still like knowing that I can look at 2020 as a new kickoff.)

4. My personal goals for 2020 include stopping and smelling the roses.
(Going along with #2 above, I'm challenging myself this year to stop and enjoy the moment more often. Though I will always have future goals and plans, I know I need to make sure I don't engulf myself so much in those that I forget to notice and enjoy the present.)

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.

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It's the day of the Pet Photo Fails! Blog Hop, hosted by Mudpie and Melissa of Melissa's Mochas, Mysteries, & Meows.

As always, my blooper queen Eddy was ready to share some blurry shots with you all. Her bloopers this time around came about during a very recent photo shoot. Our Secret Santa Paws sent us an entire tub of Eddy's absolute favorite treat. I tried to snap some shots of Eddy enjoying those treats, but I got the lighting wrong, Eddy clearly doesn't sit still when chewing away, and so bloopers ensued.

Eddy and all of us here wish you a merry Third Day of Christmas!

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Festive Flashback Doodles of the Day

I have a brand new festive doodle to share with you all today, but after battling technical issues and having an argument with my computer, I decided to share more flashback doodles instead. There are still plenty of brand new festive doodles I'll be sharing during these Twelve Days of Christmas, but my computer told me that wasn't happening today. That's all fine, though, because today's flashback doodles go well with today's Friendly Fill-Ins above. There are two flashback doodles for today, and they're the ones I shared on New Year's Eve last year and New Year's Day this year.

Last year's New Year's Eve doodle was this one here:

And this was the New Year's Day doodle, the first doodle I shared of 2019:

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Tip of the Day

Today's tip is one that can affect our indoor furbabies, and most certainly any strays and ferals you might feed outside. During the cold winter months, it can be beneficial to increase the amount of food you feed to the furbabies in your life. This is because animals typically eat more in the cold months in order to produce more energy and heat for their bodies. This is why you might see your kitty or pup heading toward the food bowl more often than usual in the winter months. Then again, eating more food to stay warm is something that far more affects outdoor animals than indoor animals, since the latter are able to maintain their body heat far more easily. And, of course, if you have any concerns about how much your furbaby is eating or should eat, any time of the year, discuss this with your veterinarian.

When it comes to outdoor strays and ferals, if you are accustomed to offering them food outside, perhaps do consider feeding them larger quantities of food, or feeding them more often, during the cold winter months. Their bodies use that extra food to stay warm. Over the next few days we'll be giving more detailed tips not only on feeding strays and ferals, but also offering them assistance in other ways.

Thankful for Our Secret Santa Paws on the Second Day of Christmas

Yesterday, none other than Christmas, the kitties got to open their gifts from their Secret Santa Paws. If that doesn't make for a fun and festive Christmas morning, then I don't know what does.

I pulled all of the gifts out for the kitties, and of course it wasn't long before some furry cuties came over to investigate.

With a little help from this here human's opposable thumbs, the kitties started tearing into those Christmas goodies. As you can imagine, the photo shoot that ensued was filled with bloopers, and then more bloopers.

The kitties obviously couldn't even wait for all their new toys to be unwrapped, or for them to be removed from their packaging, before they started playing with them.

A certain calico named Tonks was especially enamored with one particular toy the second it was unwrapped.

As you can tell from that there label on that there adorable little toy, if you pull on the tail, it wiggles! The first time this here human pulled on the tail and the toy wiggled, Tonks took a keen interest. She was a bit shocked at first, but then she simply fell in love with her new furry, motorized friend.

We still had more gifts to unwrap after that wiggling wonder, though. There was so much festive fun to be had!

This here human wanted to get a group photo of all the fun and yummy goodies the kitties received from their Secret Santa Paws. The only problem was that the kitties were impatiently waiting for me to remove said goodies from their packages. It took more than a few tries to get a decent group shot of the kitties' gifts, and all those tries resulted in lots more bloopers.

Tonks really, really wanted that wiggly new friend of hers. She's not the only one who was impatient to start playing with her new toys, though. Are you ready for a series of blurry shots of Thimble whisking away one of the toys she simply couldn't wait for?

I did finally manage one clear group photo of all of the kitties' new goodies. Just look at the Christmas jackpot!

Our Secret Santa Paws also sent this here human some lovely gifts.

What an adorable set of kitty magnets and such a beautiful necklace for this here cat mom! Of course, I couldn't manage photos of my own goodies without a little feline help. Those kitties simply have to snoopervise everything.

After the gifts were all unwrapped and photographed, you better believe the kitties started playing with their new toys. Remember that wiggly toy Tonks really wanted to play with? She got her wish and had a grand time with her new little friend.

How about one final Christmas blooper? It's good and blurry, I promise.

Now, would you like to know who sent us our Secret Santa Paws package? Want to know who made the kitties and this here human feel so fun and festive and grateful on Christmas morning? It was Angel, Kirby, Max, and their mom Nan from A Wizard and an Angel! Thank you so very much, Angel, Kirby, Max, and Nan! Your gifts made our Christmas purrfect.

Oh, and do you know what makes this extra fun? Last year, the kitties we sent our Secret Santa Paws package to were none other than Angel, Kirby, and Max! We can only hope our gifts to them last year made them as happy as their gifts to us this year made us. Thank you again to our Secret Santa Paws!

We hope all of you had a very merry Christmas yesterday! The good thing is that Christmas isn't even close to being over yet. At least, for us it's not. This here human celebrates the Twelve Days of Christmas, and what most people might not know is that Christmas itself is only the First Day of Christmas. Christmas extends all the way into January, and you better believe that means we'll be sharing festive fun things for more than a couple days longer.

Merry Second Day of Christmas!

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I didn't forget that we always participate in Angel Sammy's Thoroughly Poetic Thursday challenge. We're simply pushing our poem back a bit this week, since Christmas fun and festivities have received most of our free time this past week. Since tomorrow is the Friendly Fill-Ins challenge, we're going to go ahead and push our poem back until Saturday. That means our Caturday Art contribution will be the little illustration for our poem we share that day. And in case you were wondering, yes, our poem and its doodle will be filled with all shades of Christmas. After all, that will only be the Fourth Day of Christmas.

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Are you ready for the statements for tomorrow's Friendly Fill-Ins challenge? Ellen of 15andmeowing came up with the first two, and I came up with the second two.

1. On New Year's Eve, I _________.

2. My focus word for 2020 is _________.

3. _________ is the best thing about starting a new year.

4. My personal goals for 2020 include _________.

We'll see you tomorrow, friends!

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Festive Flashback of the Day

Of course, the doodles we share will also continue to be festive throughout the Twelve Days of Christmas. We're sharing a flashback doodle today, again since Christmas has kept us a bit busy these past few days. I decided to share the doodle from last year that inspired our Christmas card image for this year. So, the flashback doodle below is the one that gave me the idea for the Christmas cards we sent out this year:

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Tip of the Day

Did your kitty or pup get new toys for Christmas? We're thinking many of them probably did. Now that all such new Christmas gifts have been opened and are being enjoyed, consider going through your furbaby's toy stash, pulling out the ones they don't use, and donating them to a shelter or rescue. Many shelters will accept such toys as long as they are clean, as well as easily cleaned, and in good condition. Of course, it is nonetheless always best to do your research regarding an individual shelter or rescue's requirements for donations. Donating toys that your kitty or pup has accumulated but does not use not only keeps your furbaby's toy stash at manageable levels, but also of course benefits shelter kitties and pups who are awaiting their forever homes. This might also go for unopened cans of food your furbaby will not eat, and even clean blankets they do not use. Christmas is indeed the season of giving, and even though the 25th of December has passed, that spirit of giving does not need to come to an end.

Meowy Christmas and Happy Howlidays!

It's the most wonderful time of the year, and we wish all of our friends and family a merry Christmas, happy holidays, and all of the warm wishes and winter blessings you could ever ask for. Thank you all for making this community the amazing and inviting place it is. Peace, joy, and good tidings to all!

MEOWY CHRISTMAS
AND
HAPPY HOWLIDAYS!

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Tip of the Day

Christmas is often a time of remembrance, a time when memories find their way into our minds. This can sometimes make this time of year a bittersweet one, as we remember our loved ones, both human and furry, who are no longer with us. Today's tip is to of course remember lost loved ones with fondness during the beautiful holiday season, but also to find ways to include lost loved ones in the festivities, if this is something that would benefit you. There are a number of ways to keep lost furbabies' or other family members' memories alive and well during the holiday season, such as by hanging an ornament dedicated to them. One example of this includes picture frame ornaments, in which you can obviously place a photo of a lost loved one. Another example are ornaments sculpted or painted in the likeness of a lost loved one, and this of course includes ornaments made to resemble kitties or pups who have gained their angel wings.

In addition to memorial ornaments, you can also set up memorial stations in your house for lost loved ones. This memorial area can be a place where you set up photos of a lost kitty, pup, or human family member who is no longer with you. What's more, to maintain their memory and inclusion during the holidays, you can add festive decorations to the memorial area you have set up for them. You can festively light up the memorial station with lights or candles, as long as this is done in a safe manner. There are plenty of other options for using festive yet respectful decor to include a lost loved one in the holiday spirit.

Just one more of many options for keeping a lost loved one's memory alive and well during this holiday season is to make a donation or other gift in their memory. When it comes to an angel kitty or pup, you can donate goods to a shelter or rescue in their memory. You can also sponsor, or even foster or adopt, an animal in their honor. Though remembering lost loved ones during the holiday season can be a bittersweet thing, there are many ways in which to maintain a lost loved one's memory and include them in the festivities.

Merry Christmas Eve!

Merry Christmas Eve to all of our friends! The kitties here are extra excited for Christmas now. Why, you ask? Because something exciting and fun and festive arrived at our house last night.

Our Secret Santa Paws box arrived! The kitties here were not pleased with me when I informed them that they have to wait until tomorrow morning to open that box of goodness. They protested by trying to chew and poke and prod their way into it.

The kitties are simply going to have to be patient. They get to open that box as well as their other gifts from a certain big man in red tomorrow morning. We have no doubt that all of you friends of ours have been good all year, and so we also have no doubt that not a single one of you will find coal in your stocking tomorrow morning.

Meowy Christmas Eve, friends!

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Tip of the Day

We recently mentioned some ways to make Christmas special for both your own furbabies and those in shelters. Today, we want to remind you to remember those furbabies who are outdoors and in your neighborhood. Do you have stray or feral cats in your area? If so, for Christmas, or any day possible, try to give them any extra help you can. During this holiday season, or all year round, try to give strays and ferals extra food, treats, or even a toy. If possible, also try to offer them shelter in some way, even if it's something makeshift. This is something that can greatly benefit them during a cold and snowy winter. We'll soon be sharing some repeat yet also significant tips on offering assistance to outdoor strays and ferals, but for now we'll offer this simple reminder to remember outdoor furbabies during this holiday season.

Since we're talking about outdoor animals, perhaps also don't forget the squirrels and birds! For Christmas, you could throw some extra food out for wildlife, to allow them an extra festive day as well. Some places even make or sell especially festive suet cakes and other goodies for outdoor critters this time of year.

So, this Christmas season, don't forget to think outside of your own home and family. Of course Christmas is a time for family, but it's also a time to remember how lucky we are, and how others may not be so lucky. So, spread the love this Christmas season!

Merry Mancat Monday

This time of year, I'm sure I'm not the only human who often finds myself trying to find boxes just the right size for certain gifts I need to wrap. The problem, though, is that if I set a box aside and a kitty finds it, I'm out of luck. I've lost a great many perfectly sized boxes to the cats in this house, and they never seem willing to give them back to me.

Evan not only stole this box from me after I deemed it perfect for one of the gifts I got for my mother, but my orange mancat then even dragged his Santa sloth toy into the box. That box has since become a true lair. Evan drags toys into it, hides both himself and his toys inside its confines, and lets no one else enter the box.

Merry Christmas week!

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Festive Doodle of the Day

Of course I had to throw another red truck doodle into the Christmas mix.

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Tip of the Day

Today's tip relates to the spirit of gift-giving during the holiday season. In particular, we're talking about the practice of giving cats, dogs, and other little critters as gifts on Christmas morning. The important thing here is that anyone giving a furry friend as a gift realize the significance of such a gift. Obviously, a living creature requires proper care and commitment. For this reason, if you or someone you know is intending on giving a cat, dog, or other critter as a gift, be sure that all considerations have been made. Does the recipient want a furry friend? Do finances, time, age, location, and other such factors allow the recipient to properly care for a furry friend? These are just the basics that need to be considered, as cats, dogs, and other animals come with far more factors than this. After all, pets are a commitment that can be with you for many years.

The long and short if it is that while it is wonderful to think of an animal finding a home on Christmas morning, it is still important to ensure that said animal will not end up without proper care, or back at a shelter or abandoned. There are of course times when giving or receiving a cat, dog, or other critter as a gift works out perfectly fine. Such cases might include when a husband or wife gifts a furbaby to their spouse who wants and can care for it, or when a parent knows their child wants and is capable of assisting in the care of a cat, dog, or other pet. If you or someone close to you is planning to surprise someone with a furry friend on Christmas morning, just as with any gift, do take into consideration whether a pet is appropriate for the recipient in question.

Merry and Bright Christmas Selfie

Today's selfie is far from an award-winning shot. The lighting is overexposed and the star of the photo is slightly blurry. But, it's fun and festive and we thought purrfect for the last Sunday Selfie before Christmas. So, here you go.

Tonks and all of us here are wishing you a very merry almost Christmas!

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Festive Doodle of the Day

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Tip of the Day

Over the past couple of days, we've been discussing how to ensure that your furbaby is safe when you leave home or otherwise leave them unattended this holiday season. We've already reminded you to unplug Christmas lights and to remove the ample Christmas snacks from their reach. Now we want to remind you about those gifts under the Christmas tree. To begin, we've mentioned in previous tips the danger posed by items such as ribbon, tape, and even wrapping paper itself. After all, consumption of these items can lead to any number of issues, including intestinal distress, blockage, or other damage.

It's not just the outside of the gifts that can be hazardous, though. First and foremost, if any wrapped gifts contain food, whether it be yummy treats for a human or treats for a furbaby, keep those gifts well out of reach of your furbaby at all times. As you all know, kitties and pups have a darn good sense of smell, and some furbabies might feel compelled to chew or rip their way to any food they smell. This can be bad news not only for the gift itself, but also of course for your furbaby, especially if the food they find includes chocolate or other toxic components. Though it's obviously not toxic, also refrain from hiding gifts containing catnip beneath the tree. This could lead to a destroyed or stolen gift box, as well as to the potential dangers that result from eating gift wrapping material.

There are plenty of other considerations to make on this topic as well. Are any of the gifts you wrapped small? And is your kitty or pup one to slap around, run off with, or eat small items? Are any of the gifts large? Or are multiple gifts creating a large pile around the Christmas tree? Is your furbaby a jumper or climber or otherwise at risk of knocking over large or piled gifts? Are any of the gifts fragile? Is your furbaby simply a chewer who will eat their way through a wrapped gift just for the sake of it?

The long and short of it is to always be aware of the temptations as well as the dangers that wrapped gifts can pose to a furbaby. You know your furbaby best, and you, or perhaps someone else in your house, knows what is contained within those gifts beneath the tree. Keeping all of that in mind, treat gifts accordingly when leaving your furbaby unattended at home. If that means hiding all gifts rather than leaving them beneath the tree, then find a safe and secure hiding place for them.

Caturday Christmas Cookies

Given my Christmas baking schedule for this weekend, I've got gingerbread on my mind. Perhaps that explains today's doodle?

I do indeed have a kitty cookie cutter, and so there will indeed be gingerkitty cookies baked at my house this weekend.

Merry almost Christmas!

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Tip of the Day

Yesterday we discussed unplugging Christmas lights and removing other potentially dangerous decor from your furbaby's reach in the event that they are not being supervised. Festive decor is not the only danger this time of year, though. As we all probably know, lots of snacks and treats come of the woodwork this time of year. What's more, a lot of these treats are not healthy for our kitties and pups. Chocolate, alcohol, fatty foods, and excess sugar and salt, just to name a couple, can all pose risks to the health of our furbabies. For this reason, if you need to leave your house or in any way leave your furbaby unattended, ensure that they do not have access to your Christmas goodies. This could relate to any number of situations. For example, keep in mind snack bowls, food being prepared or cooling on the kitchen counter, a full table on Christmas Day, and even dirty dishes in the sink or food in the trash bin. So, if your furbaby is going to be left alone and unsupervised, remove food from the counters and table, hide snack bowls, clear out the sink, and take out or hide the trash. Our kitties and pups might find some of our Christmas treats just as delicious as we find them, but that doesn't mean it's healthy for them to snack on them. So, especially in the event that you will not be home or available to monitor your kitty or pup, think ahead and remove all food from your furbaby's reach.