S is for...

It's still April, which of course means we're still working our way through the A to Z Challenge.

Today's letter is S. For her "A Day at Rosie's Restaurant" theme, Rosie stirred up something classic.

Spaghetti and meatballs, anyone? Rosie even has some tomato sauce and meatballs on the side. Do you want to know why? Because when this here human was growing up, everyone in the house liked their spaghetti prepared and assembled in different ways, so there was always sauce and meatballs on the side to accommodate this. Rosie decided to do the same for all of you, in case you like your spaghetti a certain way. Eat up!

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What else does S stand for? Smiles, obviously!

Happy Wednesday, friends!

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Tip of the Day

We've discussed a number of Italian inspired dishes this month. Many of these dishes include tomato sauce, and we've touched on hidden, hazardous ingredients such as garlic, onion, and salt. What we haven't strictly mentioned, though, are tomatoes. Are tomatoes safe for kitties and pups? The answer could be either yes or no. Ripe tomatoes are generally non-toxic to cats and dogs. The green parts of the tomato plant, though, can contain a compound known as solanine. This includes unripe, green tomatoes. When ingested in small amounts, solanine is not likely to be toxic. If ingested in large amounts, though, toxicity could result in issues such as vomiting, diarrhea, cardiac disturbance, and lethargy. Since solanine is largely in the green parts of the tomato plant, including in the unripe tomato fruit itself, ensure your kitty or pup does not have easy access to unripe tomatoes or the leaves and stems. If you have a tomato garden, do your best to block your cat or dog's access to it. In addition, it's worth it to mention that tomatoes are also a slightly acidic food, and while that doesn't make them toxic, the acidity could potentially cause issues for some cats and dogs, such as upset stomach. All in all, generally speaking, tomatoes are not terribly likely to harm a cat dog, but to avoid any potential for danger, limit or avoid feeding them to your furbaby.