Out With the Old and in With the New

It's New Year's Eve. 2020 is coming to an end. We're sometimes sad to see a year go. Not this time. 2021 is knocking at the door, and we're here to welcome it. We've got all shades of New Year's Eve fun to have today. Shall we start with a rhyme?

Each week, Angel Sammy hosts the Thoroughly Poetic Thursday challenge. He always shares a photo prompt to guide us, and this week's prompt is this timely one here:

I certainly wanted to write a poem in honor of waving a hefty goodbye to 2020, and so that's more or less what I did. Today is also the Seventh Day of Christmas, though, so there's some festive feels to my poem and its illustration as well. Also, as per usual, I of course threw a couple of obligatory kitties in the mix. All in all, today I have for you a weird and wacky and hopefully somewhat festive rhyme.

Out With the Old and in With the New

Four sets of eyes stared at the mantle clock.
It seemed to taunt them with its tick tock, tick tock, tick tock.
The hands informed them it was eleven o'clock or so,
Which meant they still had an entire hour to go.

The old man stood alongside his wife,
And each held a cat who more than certainly ruled their life.
The house was as festive as their very own party hats,
And on the table equally festive cupcakes waited and sat.

"This is going to be the longest hour ever," the old man said.
The old woman rolled her eyes and shook her head.
She told him, "We've made it this far, have we not?
Now is no time to act like a bratty little tot."

The old man scoffed and said, "Excuse me, but this year has gotten old and stale.
In comparison to other years, it really does pale.
It's ludicrous, an absolute abomination.
This year needs to take a permanent vacation."

"I don't disagree with any of that," the man's wife said.
"But at least we're here to see this year end rather than being dead.
Have some patience, and maybe even a tad bit of class.
Before you know it, this final hour of this horrid year will pass."

The man began to pace back and forth across the room.
The couple's cats accompanied him, though they moved in dashes and zooms.
He huffed and puffed and mumbled and grumbled.
When the cats ran between his legs, he also did stumble.

The old fellow stopped in front of the table on which sat the cupcakes.
He said, "These belong in my stomach rather than on this plate."
When the cats approached, he added, "What if the cats eat them before I do?
An old man like me needs sustenance, too!"

"Patience, old man!" his irritated wife did shout.
Then she nestled in to read a good book on the couch.
The cats climbed the mantle as the old man resumed his pacing,
And then the cats again joined him, though of course they were racing.

The snowy night outside looked bitter and cold,
Which made that year even more sour and old.
At least, to the impatient old man that was the case.
It was now half past eleven, but he wished the time was even more late.

The woman read, the man paced, and the cats ran to and fro.
Finally, there was only a few minutes to go.
The old couple and their cats stood staring at the clock yet again.
Soon, the hour would move to midnight from eleven.

They watched and waited,
Their four sets of eyes eyes wide and their breath bated.
Tick tock, tick tock, tick tock.
And just like that, midnight was announced by the clock.

The old couple and their cats cheered and purred for the new year.
After all, the disgraceful old one had finally disappeared.
The old man shouted, "Hip hip hooray! Out with the old and in with the new!
Now, let me have a celebratory cupcake. Actually, I'll take two."

***

As we close out this year and prepare for a new one, it seems like a perfect time to give some thanks. That's easy to do thanks to Brian's Thankful Thursday Blog Hop.

Thimble is here to give some thanks, and today she is grateful for all of her new catnip toys. She got lots of them from our Secret Santa Paws, that being all of the wonderful kitties and Dad Pete of Tomcat Commentary by Tim. This here mom of Thimble's also got her some catnip goodies for Christmas.

Wow. That's most certainly a blooper.

And there's another blooper. You all probably know what a challenge it is to snap a photo of a nipped out cat playing with a toy. But, can you at least see what the toy is? It's a cute little Christmas pudding toy that our local pet store had. Here, Evan agreed to sit still and pose with it so that you all could actually see it.

I almost stole that toy for myself, but I decided to go ahead and let the kitties have it. I guess I was feeling generous. Thimble sure seems glad I let the kitties keep it, as she's thrown the toy under the couch roughly a gazillion times already.

Merry Seventh Day of Christmas!

Happy New Year's Eve!

Wishing you all health and happiness in 2021!

***

Oh, but one last thing. How about we share the fill-in statements for tomorrow's Friendly Fill-Ins challenge? Ellen of 15andmeowing is the mastermind behind the first two, and I came up with the second two.

1. My focus word for 2021 is _________.

2. I didn't get to _________ this year, but I hope to in 2021.

3. The year 2020 taught me _________.

4. _________ is one of my biggest goals for 2021.

We'll see you next year, friends!

***

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.

A Festive Wednesday With Astrid

It's the Sixth Day of Christmas, and we're of course still celebrating the holiday season over here. We always extend the season through the Twelve Days of Christmas, each and every year. We're sorry to anyone who is already over Christmas, but we're not done with it over here.

So, what festive something or other do we have for you today? It's a festive little photo from pup Astrid.

That is indeed Astrid's Christmas sweater. What's more, this photo was taken on Christmas Day. Astrid was watching as this here human's parents, Astrid's beloved Pawpaw and Gammy, approached our house. They live just down the street from us, so they always walk to our house. Astrid loves seeing them come down the street. Do you see her tail wagging in this photo? She couldn't wait to give her Pawpaw a tackle of a hug.

Merry Sixth Day of Christmas!

P.S. As someone who has extreme fondness for anything that makes an animal specially abled, I was excited when I realized after I took this photo that it shows off Astrid's 3-toed foot. As many of you might remember, Astrid had the outer toe of her hind right foot amputated back in 2017, in order to remove a cancerous tumor. Do you see her 3-toed foot? Isn't it adorable? I love it.

***

Festive Flashback Doodle of the Day

We're finally going to be sharing some more brand new Christmas doodles starting tomorrow, for the final week of the Twelve Days of Christmas. Until tomorrow, though, here's another festive flashback doodle. This one is from 2018. More specifically, it was the one I created for New Year's Eve 2018.

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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.

Tonks and Yet Another Christmas Tree

Tonks is still enjoying her beloved Christmas trees, and I actually got a rare shot of her sitting beside one of the trees instead of climbing it.

I'm pretty sure Tonks started climbing the tree just moments after this photo was snapped. Not surprising.

Merry Fifth Day of Christmas, friends!

***

Festive Flashback 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.

Another Merry Mancat Monday

Just as we do every year, we are celebrating the Twelve Days of Christmas. As we mentioned the other day, the First Day of Christmas is Christmas Day itself, which means today is the Fourth Day of Christmas. In celebration of the continuation of Christmas, Evan has still been spending lots of time sleeping under his stocking and Christmas tree.

Evan and all of us here hope you have a merry Fourth Day of Christmas filled with lots of napping!

***

Festive Flashback of the Day

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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.

Secret Santa Paws Extravaganza

On Christmas morning, the kitties here got to open the box we received in the mail from their Secret Santa Paws. They were so excited, though they were upset that they had to wait that long to open it. The box arrived in the mail well over a week ago, but this human hid it from the kitties. Despite the downright abusive wait they had to endure, the kitties gathered around when I helped them open the box.

Do you see the card and note that came with our package? Can you tell from it who our Secret Santa Paws was? We'll tell you who it was. It was from Timmy, Toby, Rumpy Bump, Miss Fritz, Einstein, Angel Buttons, Angel Buddy Budd, and Dad Pete from Tomcat Commentary by Tim. Thank you so very much for making our Christmas so special, kitties and Dad Pete!

So, what did we get from our Secret Santa Paws? We got a jackpot, that's what!

The first gift we opened was that delicious bag of treats, which the kitties love. Evan loves them so much he'll beg and beg for more and more and more.

Before we even got any more of the gifts opened, Thimble expressed her love for the box full of goodies. She certainly smelled all the catnippy goodness, and so she gave the box a little cuddle.

Woops. Thimble got a little carried away and tipped over there.

Oh, don't mind Toby. The box our gifts came in was simply a purrfect fit.

Okay, let's get back to opening the gifts, shall we?

Opening the gifts turned into pure chaos. There were so many fun toys and a plethora of catnip that the kitties kind of went wild and turned the photo shoot into quite a blurry spectacle. We had so much fun, though, and just look at all the goodies we got!

Talk about a jackpot!

Do you see Winky rolling on the nip nanner in that there photo? That nip nanner is a huge hit at our house.

Tonks first set her sights on this new kicker toy. Look how furry and fun it is!

Our Secret Santa Paws kitties and their dad Pete gave some lovely gifts to this here human, too.

The book is Frizzy Izzy Goes Home by Bree Muehl, and it is an endearing read that is in collaboration with the Remember Me Thursday movement that serves to spread awareness about animals who are in shelters waiting for their forever homes. It is such a sweet read with a wonderful message. You can also see in the above photo the hair clip this here human received, which is absolutely gorgeous and stars some seriously adorable kitties.

Timmy, Toby, Rumpy Bump, Miss Fritz, Einstein, Angel Buttons, Angel Buddy Budd, and Dad Pete, we want to thank you so very much for all of these amazing goodies! Your thoughtfulness made our Christmas so fun and special, and we are greatly enjoying each and every gift you sent us. Merry Christmas season to you!

And a Merry Third Day of Christmas to all of you out there!

Oh, and the kitties here tried to snap some selfies while they opened their goodies from their Secret Santa Paws, but as you can tell above, they were so excited that all the attempts were blurry and chaotic. They're still going to count some of their shots in the Kitties' Blue Sunday Selfie Blog Hop, though, because a blurry selfie can still be considered a selfie, can't it?

***

Festive Flashback Doodle of the Day

This weekend we're working on some new Christmas doodles for the Twelve Days of Christmas. There will be Santa Paws, my favorite festive red truck, a cozy fireplace or two, some snow, and all that Christmassy goodness. While we work on those, for this Third Day of Christmas here's a festive flashback from last year.

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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.

Snowy Caturday Art

We hope each and every one of you had a very merry Christmas! Over the past couple of days, I partook in wonderful and restful Christmas celebrations with my furbabies and immediate family. During that time, I didn't open my sketchbook at all, which means I didn't finish any new doodles for today's Caturday Art Blog Hop. So, for today's artsy shares, online I found a snowy, animated overlay to apply to some of my most recent festive outdoor doodles.

That there is an even snowier version of our Christmas card from this year. I applied that snowy effect to even more of my outdoor Christmas doodles from this past couple of weeks.

This weekend I'll be getting back into my sketchbook. Believe it or not, I'll still be sharing Christmas doodles for almost two more weeks. Why? Because I celebrate the Twelve Days of Christmas. Though many people believe the Twelve Days of Christmas are the days leading up to the holiday, Christmas itself is actually just the First Day of Christmas. Today is merely the Second Day of Christmas, which means we're certainly not done being festive around here. So, for this Second Day of Christmas, above are some of our recent Christmas doodles with an animated snowy effect added to them. We'll also be sharing new Christmas doodles over nearly the next two weeks, with festive flashback doodles from previous years sprinkled in there. We hope you're not yet tired of Christmas here on our blog, because we're still all shades of festive over here.

Tomorrow we'll be sharing the fun we had opening the gifts from our Secret Santa Paws. The kitties and this human hope our Secret Santa Paws know how much joy their gifts brought us this Christmas! The kitties have been playing with their new toys and snacking on their new treats nonstop, and you'll get to see it all tomorrow. You'll also find out the identity of our Secret Santa Paws tomorrow. 

Merry Second Day of Christmas!

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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!

We wish all of our friends out there 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!

***

Ellen of 15andmeowing and I are still hosting the Friendly Fill-Ins challenge today. If you'd like to join us for this festive edition, we'd be happy to have you!


1. The best gift I have ever given is _________.

2. Last night, I _________.

3. _________ brings me joy today.

4. My favorite holiday memory is _________.

My answers are below in bold.

1. The best gift I have ever given is the annual holiday gifts I donate to local animal shelters.

(I certainly do enjoy giving gifts to my own furry as well as human family. But, in truth, we're all fortunate to have family and homes, which can't be said for animals at shelters. There is a wide variety of charities that can benefit from gifts and donations, but especially around the holidays, I personally always choose to give gifts of food, toys, and other supplies to local animal shelters. Probably in no small part because I'm a huge animal lover, these gifts are the ones that I find the most rewarding to give.)

2. Last night, I enjoyed my family's Christmas Eve traditions.

(As I mentioned in another recent fill-in, Christmas Eve is my favorite day of the holiday season. This stems back to the traditions of my childhood, which I loved so much. In fact, my family's Christmas Eve traditions have hardly changed since I was kid, even though I'm now grown and live in my own house. My parents, sister, and I all go to Christmas services at our church on the evening of Christmas Eve, and then we go to my parents' house and feast on festive foods, and we open presents, and we watch the A Christmas Story movie marathon that airs on TV every year, and I enjoy every second of all of it. All of the furbabies in the family also get lots of gifts and attention on Christmas Eve, and I love seeing them so happy.)

3. Spending time with my family brings me joy today.

(My parents, sister, myself, and of course our furry family members will all be spending time together at both my house and my parents' house today. Now, don't get me wrong, because I appreciate spending Christmas with my extended family as well, but my favorite way to spend a holiday is in the form of a lowkey gathering with just my parents, my sister, and our furry family members. The introvert and homebody part of me just loves to keep things small and casual, because I find that most enjoyable. Too much hustle and bustle makes a holiday a bit too overwhelming, at least for me.)

4. My favorite holiday memory is any and all of them.
(I'm blessed in that I've never had anything unsavory or traumatic happen during the holiday season. This is in no small part why all of the holiday memories I can recall are happy ones. Certainly not every Christmas is the same, and some years don't feel as magical as others, but I'm still fond of all of them, as they all involve both my human and furry family.)

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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Eddy and all of us here yet again want to wish you a blessed Christmas! Thank you for your friendship, today and every day.

***

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! We're going to start with a poem. After all, it's time for Angel Sammy's Thoroughly Poetic Thursday challenge.

Our poetic host always shares a photo prompt to help guide us. This week's prompt is this festive one here:

This image reminded me of when I was a kid, when I would want to stay up and try to catch Santa Claus coming into our house. I would try to stay awake on Christmas Eve night, with my kitty angels Rosie and Sammy by my side. I never did succeed at catching Santa Claus, so I thought I'd write a poem with a different ending than my childhood stories.

Old St. Nick

'Twas the night before Christmas,
As if anyone could really miss this.
Not one creature in the house did stir.
Well, except for two cats and their little girl.

Santa Claus was coming to town,
A fact that brought to the girl's face the opposite of a frown.
She and her cats snuck down the stairs,
With fluffy tails and a hearty case of bed hair.

The girl's parents told her that old St. Nick would not come if she stayed awake,
But she intended to be as quiet and sneaky as a slithering snake.
Her cats ran down the stairs on feet as light as feathers,
While the girl tiptoed to prevent her descent from sounding like inclement weather.

As if right on cue, a soft thud sounded overhead.
Was that Santa and his reindeer and their magical sled?
The girl and her feline friends ran past the tree and fireplace, lickity split.
They crouched behind a cozy chair that was everyone's favorite place to sit.

The cats purred and mewed and frolicked to and fro.
"Hush," the girl said. "We don't want Santa to hear us and go.
Don't you want gifts and new toys and treats?
If Santa knows we're spying, he might retreat."

Just like that, the cats sat still and silent.
If they could, the girl knew they'd be smiling.
A shocked expression then took the place of the grinning,
After all, a sound had just come from the chimney.

There was a shuffling and puffing and mumbling.
Then it sound like someone landed on the floor and went tumbling.
A groan and a sigh could then be heard.
A jolly old voice said, "Ho ho ho! That hurt!"

A peek revealed to the girl and her cats that Santa was indeed inside the house.
They ducked back behind the chair, quiet as the quietest mouse.
The girl had been waiting and hoping to catch sight of the big man in red,
And now that he was here, all sorts of fears and doubts ran through her head.

Will Santa catch us sneaking? she thought to herself.
Will he take our presents away and give them back to his elves?
She bit her lip and began to fret.
Will I be on the naughty list forever and again?

Santa seemed to have finished emptying presents from his big red bag.
Then he said, "Am I going to get to say hello to a little girl and her cats?
I believe they're keeping me company in here, after all.
Come on out and say hello to this old man named Santa Claus."

Slowly stepping out from the behind the chair,
The girl was afraid to meet Santa's stare.
"I'm sorry, Santa, I really am!" she did say.
"I've always wanted to see you, and I couldn't keep away."

The girl's cats were far less scared.
Prancing up to Santa and rubbing his legs was something they apparently dared.
Santa reached down and gave them each a scratch on their head.
"You two just so happen to be on my good list," he said.

Blurting out her fear, the girl said, "Santa, are you going take our presents away?"
He laughed and replied, "I'd rather not lug all this back to my sleigh.
You've been two good cats and a good girl, in truth,
Though you are a bit curious, and quite sneaky, too."

"So we're not in trouble?" the little girl asked.
"On Christmas? Most certainly not!" Santa said to her and the cats.
The big man in red grabbed up his sack still full of gifts for the world.
"Merry Christmas!" he then said to the cats and their little girl.

Up the chimney Santa disappeared in a flash.
There was much excitement between the girl and her cats.
They watched out the window as Santa took off in his sleigh,
All while Christmas Eve turned into Christmas Day.

As if he knew they were watching him disappear into the sky,
Santa turned and waved at them with a sparkle in his eye.
The little girl and her cats waved back as Santa took his flight,
And he called out, "Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!"

***

And now, on this Christmas Eve, it's time for Brian's Thankful Thursday Blog Hop.

Thimble is of course here to give some gratitude, and today, she is still beyond grateful for her beloved Christmas tree.

She still can't figure out how to climb it, despite her best efforts, but she still loves it.

Thimble and all of us here wish you a merry Christmas Eve!

***

We are still going to have the Friendly Fill-Ins challenge this week, for anyone who would like to participate tomorrow, or the days after. We'll share the fill-in statements now. Ellen of 15andmeowing came up with the first two, and I came up with the last two.

1. The best gift I have ever given is _________.

2. Last night, I _________.

3. _________ brings me joy today.

4. My favorite holiday memory is _________.

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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!