Caturday Art

I'm going to get straight to sharing our doodle for today. After that, I'll give a little explanation on it.

Has anyone else noticed the rising popularity of gnomes lately? I've seen them all over the place in home decor and the like. I admittedly used to be a tad bit freaked out by gnomes. Perhaps that was because I enjoyed reading R.L. Stine's Goosebumps series as a kid, and one of these books was about some rather aggressive gnomes. These unfriendly gnomes were the kind that sat in lawns, with painted faces that never quite looked friendly.

Lately, though, I've been finding myself quite fond of the new generation of gnomes. I most often see these friendlier gnomes in the home decor section of stores. They're usually plush gnomes that you can sit on shelves or mantles, and usually all you can see of their facial features is a big ol' nose beneath a big hat and beard. I was inspired to scribble up a series of doodles starring such gnomes, of course with a furry friend or two, and above is the first doodle in this series.

Happy Caturday to all!

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Our Tip of the Day:

We're going to try to start some new series of tips soon enough, but for now we're yet again doing some repeats from the past year or two. That being said, February is a busy month. At least, in terms of important messages it is. February is Spay/Neuter Awareness Month, National Pet Dental Health Month, and National Cat Health Month. The last February or two, we filled the month with tips on all of these topics. We've decided to do the same again this year, since the topics at hand are significant ones. So, we'll be repeating and revamping our February tips from last year. Brace yourself for a month all about health and wellness.

We'll start with spaying and neutering. As you all surely know, spaying and neutering your pets, as well as ferals outdoors, helps significantly reduce cat and dog overpopulation. This in turn reduces the number of homeless animals, the number of furbabies awaiting homes in shelters, and the number who are, sadly, euthanized due to lack of space in the shelter system. That being said, if possible, don't just stop at getting your kitty or pup spayed or neutered. If possible, consider assisting in or donating to trap-neuter-release (TNR) efforts, so that even those kitties who are most comfortable with an outdoor life can enjoy a life that does not involve contributing to pet overpopulation. All of us here certainly love animals, but all of us also certainly feel heartbroken when we remember that there are a great many cats and dogs without homes due to uncontrolled reproduction and overpopulation. So, have your pets spayed and neutered, and, if possible, do what you can to help in the efforts to have feral colonies spayed and neutered as well. Stay tuned tomorrow for some facts and tips on the health benefits of spaying and neutering your furbabies!