Guest Sunny Sunday Selfie

Today's selfie is yet another shot of one of my parents' 12 kitties. It's a very, very sunny selfie starring a little tabby girl named Josie.

We hope your Sunday is as sunny as Josie's!

***

Flashback Doodle of the Day

I have more than a few doodles on the brink of being completed and nearly ready to be scanned to share on our blog. That being said, I spent much of this weekend so far leveling out the ground in part of my yard and building a shed on that ground, with the help of my wonderful dad and uncles. After coming inside from working on that all day, I simple haven't had the energy to pull out my sketchbook to finish any of my nearly completed doodles. So, we're sharing a flashback doodle instead of a new doodle today. Luckily, the shed construction is pretty much done now, so I'll have the time and energy to return to my sketchbook. I'm really enjoying scribbling all sorts of weird and wacky autumnal doodles, so I'm eager to get back to working on them. Anyway, here's today's flashback doodle, which is a chaotic autumn kitchen scene I scribbled up last year.

P.S. Yesterday we shared a piratey doodle that was based on a classic Halloween special, except drawn in my personal style. We asked if anyone knew which TV special it was based off of, and our friends over at Melissa's Mochas, Mysteries, & Meows correctly guessed that it was the Garfield Halloween special. Well done, Melissa and Mudpie!

***

Tip of the Day

As we mentioned yesterday, September is Animal Pain Awareness Month, and so we're sharing a couple tips relating to that very topic. Yesterday's tip was about some of the signs and symptoms you might notice if your furbaby is in pain. Today's tip relates to, of course, taking your kitty in for a veterinary exam should they be showing signs of pain. By way of examination and other potential diagnostic tests, a reason for any pain your furbaby is feeling might be deduced.

Moreover, if or when your veterinarian describes medications to treat or regulate your furbaby's pain, always monitor them closely. This is often especially important after the first doses of a new medication. Depending on the reason for pain, as well as depending on the individual animal, different medications can vary in their efficacy and side effects. Of course, some pain medications will, by nature, cause drowsiness or other such side effects. In some cases, though, there are other things to look out for. For example, some animals have noticeably adverse reactions to certain drugs, such as respiratory distress, hives or swelling, vomiting, or diarrhea. There are also cases when an animal might have a hypersensitivity to certain medications, making typical side effects, such as drowsiness, even more pronounced than anticipated or safe. Therefore, after giving your kitty or pup a pain medication (or, in truth, any medication), be sure to observe them carefully. If you notice any concerning or abnormal side effects in your cat or dog, of course do not hesitate to contact your veterinarian.