Friendly Fill-Ins on Flashback Friday

Hello and happy Friday! How is 2020 treating you so far? Well, we hope!

Now, are you ready for the Friendly Fill-Ins challenge? Yes? In case you missed them yesterday, we'll again share the fill-ins statements. Ellen of 15andmeowing came up with the first two, and I came up with the second two.

1. My plans for the weekend include _________.

2. You will never find _________ in my home.

3. I hope I always _________.

4. I hope I never _________.


My answers are below in bold.

1. My plans for the weekend include Bingo night.
(Once a month, my church has a Bingo night. My mom and I attend when our schedules allow, and this weekend we are indeed having us a Bingo night. Proceeds benefit the church and charities, and there are prizes to be won.)

2. You will never find cigarettes in my home.
(Smoking is not allowed in my house, for the health and safety of humans and animals alike. I only have a couple of family members who smoke, and they know my no smoking rules.)

3. I hope I always make my furbabies proud.

(While I of course do want to make my human family proud, my furbabies' opinion of me is really quite important. After all, their opinion of me isn't influenced by anything resembling human judgment. There's a saying I've always liked that goes something like this: "Be the person your dog/cat thinks you are." I find that to be sound advice, and I hope to follow it the best I can.)

4. I hope I never lose my ability to care for my furbabies.
(I feel like furbabies and caring for them is one of my main purposes in life, and I'm happy with that purpose.)

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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Your Eddy fix today yet again involves festive flashbacks. Though Eddy hasn't been all that cooperative in letting me snap shots of her enjoying her Christmas tree this year, she did thankfully let me get some photos during Christmases of the past. Two Christmases ago, I got the following shot of Eddy intently gazing at the tree.

If you zoom in on her adorably mesmerized face there, you'll see this:

Of course, just like calico Tonks, Eddy also spends a fair amount of time climbing the Christmas tree. Also two years ago, I got this shot of her doing just that:

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

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Festive Flashback Doodles of the Day

I still have a handful of brand new festive doodles to share during the last couple days of this Christmas season. That being said, I also have a couple of flashback doodles from last year that I wanted to share again. Today I'll be sharing those flashback doodles, and then for a couple days after that I'll be sharing the last of my brand new Christmas doodles for this season. Today's flashback doodles number two, and the reason they are especially important to me is because they both star my very own angel Rosie.

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Tip of the Day

Something that comes along with offering outdoor ferals and strays shelter, which we discussed yesterday, is warmth. There are a great many considerations to make when it comes to offering warmth to ferals on cold winter days. We'll start with considering the size of the space the cat will be occupying, such as the size of the shelter you have for ferals and strays, as that affects how heat is trapped. Shelters should of course be large enough to fit one or a couple cats, or even a few cats if you care for that many that get along. At the same time, though, the shelter should be small enough that cold air does not easily circulate throughout it. A shelter that is not too large will better trap and insulate heat. Another consideration to make when it comes to the shelter's construction and heat retention is the doorway. Though you don't want to block entry or exit or make ferals feel trapped inside a shelter, try your best to block drafts from entering through doorways. If possible, keep entrances faced away from the wind and drafts, such as by facing the doorways toward a wall of your house or other building, so that the shelter's entrance won't directly face open air.

In addition to the warmth that a shelter itself can offer, there are more direct heat sources that can be put out for ferals and strays. One simple option includes heating pads or beds that do not directly produce heat themselves, but that instead contain material that allows the bed to radiate heat. There are beds on the market that are said to warm to approximately the animal's body temperature when they are lying on it. There are also electric heating pads and heated beds that do indeed produce heat, allowing for immediate access to a warm place to sleep. Of course, always be cautious and aware of the dangers of burns and fires when electricity and heat comes into play, and go the safest route possible. That being said, also keep in mind that any bedding made with fabric, whether heated or not, can become and remain wet as well as dirty, and therefore can prevent a cat from wanting to use it. For more information on bedding material in an outdoor shelter, visit us for tomorrow's tip.

All of the above being said, you can also go for heating lamps or some form of space heater to use inside an outdoor cat shelter. This is of course yet another option you have to research, though, to ensure that you get one that is safe for outdoor use, and that will be the most practical to prevent burns, fires, and so forth. All in all, when it comes to providing heating sources for outdoor ferals and strays, do your research and take all precautions possible. Always be aware of the dangers of burns or fires when it comes to electricity and heat, and choose and use heating sources accordingly and wisely.