Memorial Day Remembrance

In the United States, today is Memorial Day. On this day, we remember those who have lost their lives while serving in the armed forces. Today, we thank and honor all those who have died for our freedom.

To all those who have fought to keep us safe and free, thank you for your bravery, service, and sacrifice.

To our friends in the US as well as those outside of the US, we wish you a safe, happy, and healthy Monday!

***

Did you know?

Today, we're sharing the same little tidbit we shared on Memorial Day last year. We've all certainly heard of and respect the many amazing canine war heroes. Did you know, though, that cats, dolphins, and sea lions, among others, have also played roles in war? Cats have been sought out to serve as mousers and ratters, for example, keeping bases and ships sanitary and safe from rodents. Dolphins have served roles such as detecting underwater mines. The sea lion is another underwater animal who has been trained to serve in the armed forces, such as to detect enemy divers, and even to attach tracking devices to these enemy divers. Animals are heroes in more ways than one, and that includes a great many of them earning the title of war hero.

Sunday Selfie

Happy Sunday, friends! How about a selfie from Thimble today?

After quite a few days of 90°F temperatures, we're back to more like 65°F. That means we can enjoy some window whiffies, and we're loving it.

Wishing you all lots of window whiffies!

***

Flashback Doodle of the Day

***

Tip of the Day

Today's tip is all about windows, is one we've mentioned before, and is one that you all very likely already know, but we'll say it again anyway. To begin, before opening any windows, be sure to inspect screens and take any and all precautions to ensure that no furbabies escape from any open windows. If you have an escape artist, perhaps block their direct access to windows, such as by putting something in front of the window that will prevent them from getting right next to the screen. Also never leave furbabies unattended with an open window, but instead monitor them closely when windows are open. Perhaps this all sounds like extreme measures, but a lost furbaby is a devastating thing, and it is always better to be safe than sorry.

That's not all we have on those windows, though. Also keep in mind the health of your furbabies, and yourself, when windows are open. Does your furbaby, or yourself, have asthma? What about allergies? If your kitty or pup has any such respiratory issues, open windows might not be an ideal thing. Allergens, dust, dirt, and all sorts of debris can enter through the window screen with the aid of the wind. This debris can lead to asthma attacks, itching, scratching, and other potential side effects in furbabies who do have asthma, allergies, or other similar medical issues. So, though open windows can be very enticing when the weather is nice, never forget to take into consideration all potential side effects.

Forgotten Caturday Art

Back in March we shared a new series of springtime doodles. Recently, I found one of those doodles that I actually forgot to share. I don't know how or why, but it slipped through the cracks. So, here is that poor forgotten doodle.

Another one of our upcoming series of new doodles involves books and cats much like that one there does, but that's really nothing new in my sketchbook. We also have a couple of weird and random new doodles coming up, and you'll see what we mean with that in the upcoming week. We're just all shades of wacky over here, but you probably all expect that by now.

Happy Caturday, friends!

***

Did you know?

Did you know that cats sleep through roughly 1/2 to 2/3 of their day, that being 12 to 16 hours? You probably did know that. And did you know that some studies have found that cats spend up to 1/2 of their waking hours grooming? For some cats, this means not only cleaning themselves, but also cleaning other cats in the house, or even grooming their human. Cats are very busy creatures.

Friendly Fill-Ins and Photo Fails

Hello and happy Friday, friends! We're here to fill in some fill-ins. If you'd like to join in on the Friendly Fill-Ins challenge, please do so. My co-host Ellen of 15andmeowing came up with the first two fill-in statements, and I came up with the second two.


1. I wish _________ were as _________ as _________.

2. My plans this weekend include _________ and _________.

3. It's hard to believe that _________.

4. I need _________ in order to _________.

My answers are below in bold.

1. I wish all my kitties were as willing to be held as my calico Tonks.

(Of course, even if my kitties don't like being held, I still love them to death. That said, I would love to be able to hold them all in a way that they enjoy. Really, though, my only kitty who actually enjoys being held for more than a few seconds is Tonks. She's also my only kitty who likes being held curled up like a baby, with her belly up. Evan, Thimble, and Eddy all allow me to hold them, and sometimes even enjoy being held, but never as much as Tonks does.)

2. My plans this weekend include keeping calm and keeping busy.

(That is probably the cheesiest way I could have worded my answer. I'm not changing it now, though. I do plan to relax this weekend, but I also plan to make a huge dent in my to-do list. I have a number of projects both in the home and in my yard that I want to work on during this 3-day weekend, so I'll do some relaxing, while also making time for that to-do list.)

3. It's hard to believe that it's been almost exactly 8 years since I first met Evan.

(The Wednesday after Memorial Day in 2013, someone dumped Evan at the front door of the cat clinic where I worked. He was sick and snotty, covered in diarrhea, paralyzed in his back legs, and incredibly feisty when I found him, but now he's my momma's boy and my little hero. Believe it or not, I also first met my girl Thimble and her brothers on the Wednesday after Memorial Day in 2014, the year after meeting my Evan. I met all of my furbabies in the summer, and I am so glad they're all mine.)

4. I need food in order to function.

(I'm a very hungry person. If I don't eat breakfast, or lunch, or dinner, or pretty much any time I'm hungry, my productivity level goes to something like zero.)

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.

***

And now it's time for Pet Photo Fails Blog Hop, hosted by none other than Melissa and Mudpie of Melissa's Mochas, Mysteries, & Meows.

As always, our resident blooper queen Eddy is all ready for this event.

Happy Friday, friends!

***

Flashback Doodle of the Day

Leading up to an upcoming new series of doodles starring lots of books, and of course cats and a pup or two, we thought we'd share this weird and wacky doodle that I completely forgot I scribbled up last year.

***

Tip of the Day

Yesterday's tip was about taking safety precautions when traveling with your pup or kitty to a beach or other watery locale. To add to this tip, also take precautions to keep your furbaby safe if you have a swimming pool in your own yard, or if they visit somewhere that has a pool. Not all animals are keen on or even good at swimming. This may simply be due to their swimming skill level, but can also be affected by their age, such as being very young or very old, whether they have certain special needs, or if they are sickly in any variety of ways. So, if you have, plan to install, or visit a place with a swimming pool, make sure to keep a close eye on your furbaby near this water. If need be, block a cat or dog's access to the pool, such as by keeping the pool behind a gate, securely covering it, or using another safety measure to keep your kitty or pup out of danger.

Thoroughly Poetic Thankful Thimble Thursday

Happy Thursday! Let's rhyme, shall we? Thanks to Angel Sammy, that's easy to do with the Thoroughly Poetic Thursday challenge.

As always, our host shared a photo prompt to guide us. This week's prompt is this mesmerizing one here:

Though I did go with the overall beach theme, my poem didn't really end up all that much like this exact prompt. If you'd still like to visit the beach in our poem, though, feel free to read on.

Beach Day

Marie lived by the sea.
Sand and blue waters were always in reach.
Perhaps that's why her favorite place was the beach.
It was indeed, you guessed it, her favorite place to be.

One day the radio told Marie the skies would be clear,
That there would be no storms that day like she had feared.
Marie immediately made plans to spend the day in the sand.
To her, that seemed like the one and only plan.

Something Marie loved just as much as the beach were her cats.
That's the reason she had three of them, or something like that.
Her cats enjoyed the beach just as much as Marie,
And so they oft accompanied her to the shores of the sea.

After getting the good weather news on the radio,
Marie said to her cats, "Alright. Who's ready to go?"
Just like that, the young lady and her cats set off for the beach.
The perfect day was well within their reach.

Marie had one particular favorite place on the beach,
A location with a perfect view of the sea.
She had built for herself and her cats a canopy,
So that they could enjoy the sights and sounds without sunburn or a hefty breeze.

As always, Marie brought not just one chair for herself, but two.
After all, in that second chair her cats could curl up and snooze.
In fact, Marie had learned that was a necessity.
Otherwise, her cats stole her chair right there on the beach.

Marie also brought for herself a glass of pink lemonade.
And, yes, she also brought one for her cats to claim.
Again, if she brought one only for herself,
Her cats grew jealous and to steal hers they felt compelled.

And so there were two chairs and a little table with two glasses of lemonade.
Beneath their canopy, Marie and her cats enjoyed the beach under the shade.
Except, Marie made a realization just then.
"Goodness me, I forgot my beach read!" she said.

She told her cats to stay put and behave while she grabbed her book.
She tried to prompt them to obey with what she hoped was a stern look.
The cats didn't get into any trouble while she was gone, per se,
Though they did rearrange the sitting arrangement while Marie was away.

Marie came back, humming and happy and book in hand.
Then she paused and froze where she did stand.
"You three have got to be kidding me!" she said.
The truth of the matter was quickly noticed by the eyes in her head.

When Marie left, even though it was only for a moment,
By one of her sleepy cats her chair was chosen.
The other chair was also still occupied by one of the three felines,
And now, even on the table with the lemonade one of them did lie.

"You're not going to give me back my seat, are you?" Marie said.
When not a single cat moved a muscle, all she could do was shake her head.
And so Marie settled herself in on the sand,
Which ended up a pretty good place to read the book in her hand.

***

Now, let's give some thanks for Brian's Thankful Thursday Blog Hop.

Thimble is of course here to give thanks. Tomorrow is Melissa and Mudpie's Pet Photo Fails Blog Hop, and though our resident blooper queen Eddy will be taking care of our contribution for that hop, Thimble still wanted you all to know that she can provide great bloopers as well. She is quite grateful for how cute she is even in bloopers. See?

Thimble is the master of rubbing her cheeks on anything and everything in her path, and that's what this blooper catches. Thimble loves rubbing on that coffee table's foam corner guard. And don't you just love how many teeth marks are in that corner guard? Those teeth marks are not from Thimble, though. We can thank Tonks for those.

***

Last but not least, we're here to share the fill-ins statements for tomorrow's Friendly Fill-Ins challenge. My co-host Ellen of 15andmeowing came up with the first two, and I came up with the second two.

1. I wish _________ were as _________ as _________.

2. My plans this weekend include _________ and _________.

3. It's hard to believe that _________.

4. I need _________ in order to _________.

We'll see you tomorrow, friends!

***

Tip of the Day

If your furbaby enjoys traveling and you plan on visiting a beach or other watery locale with them, be sure to take any and all safety precautions necessary. As you all certainly know, keep a close eye on your pup or kitty, and keep dogs and cats who might like to run on leashes. If your furbaby will be directly on water or at any risk of potentially falling into water, such as if they are on a boat, do consider putting a flotation device on them. They do indeed make life vests for cats and dogs. Some animals are naturally calm, don't wander, and may give you little to no reason to worry when at a beach or anywhere else near water. Other animals might be the exact opposite. In either case, take precautions as needed when your furbaby is near water.

Woof Woof Wednesday

It's Woof Woof Wednesday, which of course means we have for you a pup pouting in a window.

Wait, that's not our window. That's not the window you usually see Astrid in. Oh, that's because it's the window at the house of her Gammy and Pawpaw (her grandma and grandpa, as in this here human's parents). Astrid loves visiting her Gammy and Pawpaw, even if she spends half her time at their house looking out the window.

Happy Wednesday, friends!

***

Flashback Doodle of the Day

***

Did you know?

Many of you have probably seen a happy, relaxed dog in the midst of what looks like a smile. Dogs who are happy and content will indeed often sit with their mouth open as if panting, with their face, ears, and other features relaxed. But did you know that some dogs also do what's called a submissive smile? Some dogs with a more submissive or even just friendly nature might do this when greeting a person or another dog, as this is one way of showing happiness yet also respect. It's essentially a way for the dog to express that they want to be friends rather than fight. When a dog shows a submissive smile, their mouth will usually be pulled back with their teeth bared, which admittedly looks a bit like a snarl. A dog who is submissively smiling, though, is not being aggressive, and they will not be growling or showing any other signs of aggression. When a dog submissively smiles, their eyes will also usually be squinted, their ears will typically be pulled back, and they might lift a paw to you. Some dogs might sit still and relaxed, while other dogs might be a bit wiggly while flashing a submissive smile. Have you ever seen a dog with a submissive smile?

Tonks Tuesday

Tonks is here today to remind you just how much she enjoys a comfortable nap on her mom's legs.

Looks cozy, right?

Tonks wishes you all lots of comfy naps today! Feel free to sleep in a way that won't crick your neck, though. Maybe don't use Tonks as an example for how to nap. But please don't tell her I said that.

***

Flashback Doodle of the Day

***

Tip of the Day

Today's random little tidbit of a tip is to keep your cat or dog's nose in mind when using scented items in the home. Cats and dogs both have a far better sense of smell than us humans. This is why some smells, such as citrus, often cause a cat or dog to turn and skedaddle in the other direction. Scents like citrus are already smell strong, but it's even stronger for a cat or dog's nose. This said, keep this in mind when selecting scents for detergents, candles, and other household items. Not only is it important that you are aware of these items because they can be dangerous to our furbabies for various reasons, but it's also important to remember that a cat or dog's sensitive nose might be offended by certain fragrance options of these kinds of items. For example, if you wash your kitty or pup's favorite bed with a citrus-scented or other pungent detergent, there is the chance that they might not want to sleep on it simply due to its strong scent. And if citrus or another especially strong scent fills a certain room, such as due to a candle or spray, a cat or dog might avoid that room in order to be away from that smell. Some cats and dogs of course will not care or will simply get used to some scents, even strong ones, but still do keep in mind your cat or dog's powerful nose when buying scented items.

Mancat Monday

First of all, I apologize for this insanely late post. I thought I'd scheduled and published it, but apparently I yet again forgot to hit publish after scheduling it, so it just sat in limbo. How have I not learned my lesson yet? Story of my life.

Moving on. It's Mancat Monday! So, here's a good ol' dose of Evan for you.

Evan's hanging out in the kitchen, where the majority of our appliances are. The dryer is behind Evan in that photo. He likes to keep it company. Our utility closet is tucked in the corner of the kitchen, and in it is our hot water heater that we thought was fixed but clearly is not. It's been acting up over the past few months, and every time we think it's fixed, it stops working again. It's being worked on again today, hopefully for the last time.

Every time the worker shows up to work on our hot water heater, half of my battle is making sure that Thimble and Tonks don't try to snoopervise him too closely. Every other cat in the house goes running when strangers show up, but Thimble and Tonks are my socialites. I like having cats who aren't afraid of strangers, but it also makes it difficult when workers come over to fix broken appliances. Sometimes certain little social butterflies have to be locked away in rooms so that the workers can do their jobs.

Anyway. That was just some rambling for you here on our blog. What's new.

Happy Monday, friends!

***

Flashback Doodle of the Day

In honor of our shoddy hot water heater, here's a really old flashback doodle of Evan in the bathtub. It's a lot like a flashback we recently shared of angel Rosie in the bathtub. Apparently we just really like bathtubs here.

***

Tip of the Day

As you all probably know, generally speaking, cats do not need us to give them baths. They are some of the world's most proficient self-groomers, after all. We can certainly help them by brushing or combing them, though, which can remove excess hair that would otherwise be ingested—and then possibly vomited—by them. Combing them can also help stimulate their natural oils, keeping their coat shiny and so on and so forth. When it comes to a healthy cat who grooms him or herself, though, true baths can be not only difficult and dangerous to give, but they can also lead to issues such as dry fur. So, if your kitty is healthy and grooms him or herself, keep your grooming assistance to activities like combing.

The above all being said, there are times when a cat may indeed required a true bath. For example, if you cat has a bad case of external parasites, has somehow gotten incredibly dirty, and certainly if they have gotten anything potentially toxic or otherwise dangerous on them, then you may indeed need to give them a bath, or take them to a grooming facility or veterinary clinic for a bath. A cat with incredibly long fur, geriatric animals, and others with special needs may also need extra care beyond combing when it comes to grooming, so also take this into consideration when it comes to your kitty's grooming necessities. One last example are cats like Sphynxes, who have little to no hair. These kitties can get extra oily skin, since they have no hair to absorb the oils, and so they often do indeed require help bathing to remain clean and free of excess oils.

Sunday Selfie

A certain pretty little tabby girl agreed to snap a selfie for today.

Thimble hopes seeing her gorgeous face helps you all have a wonderful day!

***

Flashback Doodle of the Day

***

Did you know?

As you've probably noticed, a cat's nose has a textured surface of bumps and ridges. This surface of their nose gives them what you could call a "nose print". In other words, the bumps and ridges on each cat's nose makes it just as unique as a human's fingerprint. Over time there has even been some talk on using a cat's nose print as a form of identification. This has not gotten far, though, perhaps because it's certainly not easy to get most cats to agree to having their nose inked and recorded.

Galactic Caturday Art

This upcoming week we'll finally be getting back to our old schedule of sharing a balanced mixture of new doodles and flashback doodles. I definitely did not mean to take this long to finish my newest series of doodles, but such is life. For today, we have some flashback doodles from 2019. Back then, I scribbled up a little series of three doodles, all with a somewhat galactic theme, with a couple weird little twists here and there. Who remembers this silly little series of doodles?

Happy Caturday, friends!

***

Did you know?

Did you know that the word clowder is not the only one used to describe a group of cats. While clowder is the most commonly used term, a group of cats can also be called a clutter, a glaring, or even a pounce. And while a group of kitten siblings is called a litter, did you know that a group of kittens can also be called a kindle?

Friendly Fill-Ins

Happy Friday! Let's celebrate this day by filling in the Friendly Fill-Ins, shall we? Feel free to join in on the fun! My co-host Ellen of 15andmeowing came up with the first two fill-in statements, and I came up with the second two.


1. Lately, I've been _________.

2. I find _________ fascinating.

3. If I had known _________, I would have _________.

4. I can't help but _________ when I'm nervous.

My answers are below in bold. They're all about the furbabies this week.

1. Lately, I've been doing lots of laundry.
(As I've mentioned before, my boy Evan has some urinary incontinence. Sometimes he'll go weeks without any accidents, but then sometimes he does it every day, sometimes more than once a day. Right now he's in one of his heavily incontinent spells. That's totally fine, it just means some extra laundry. I can live with that. My mom and I are still working on crafting up some especially heavy duty leak resistant blankets. We have lots of ideas and plans for them, we just haven't made them yet.)

2. I find Evan's ability to adapt fascinating.

(Evan has been paralyzed in the hind legs since he was 6 weeks old. He is now 8 years old, and he is such a determined, unbothered little guy. He has learned how to do what he wants to do, even if it's in his own special way. And if he needs help doing it, he'll let me know. He doesn't need my help with all that much, though, because he's an amazing little guy.)

3. If I had known more about pup Astrid when I adopted her, I would have named her Cricket.
(It wasn't until a few weeks or months after I adopted Astrid that I learned how much she enjoyed pouncing crickets on the ground. When she sees or hears one, she'll do one of those hopping pounces you see foxes do. It's quite adorable. Poor crickets, though. I also didn't know just how much she loves jumping, kind of like a cricket, until a couple of weeks into knowing her. Now knowing all that, I often wish I had named her Cricket.)

4. I can't help but cuddle a kitty when I'm nervous.

(If I'm nervous and have access to a kitty, I will cuddle them. Nothing is more soothing and anxiety-reducing than a cat.)

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.

***

Now, how about a fix of Eddy...and her adorable snaggletooth!

Happy Friday, friends!

***

Flashback Doodle of the Day

***

Tip of the Day

Does your kitty or pup ever urinate on your furniture? Do they ever vomit on it? Or even just drool on it? There are indeed furniture covers and blankets on the market that are advertised as leak resistant. Some of these do work quite well, though they of course may not protect furniture from an entire bladder worth of urine, for example. But, if you are looking to protect your furniture from urine, vomit, drool, and the like, you can indeed do some research and searching and find blankets or covers that are meant to at least help protect your furniture. They may not be perfect, but they can help defend against basic accidents.

Thoroughly Poetic Thankful Thimble Thursday

We're ready to rhyme today, thanks to Angel Sammy's Thoroughly Poetic Thursday challenge.

As always, our host shared a photo prompt to help guide us. This week's prompt is this image here:

Honestly, the first thing that painting made me think of was the movie Jaws. I guess that sailor just reminded me of the main character in Jaws. I don't know. That's simply what happened in my brain. So, I went with that very vague idea, of course threw a cat in there, and then ended up with this weird and random rhyme:

We're Gonna Need a Bigger Boat

There once was a ship that sailed the seas.
Its captain was an old man by the name of Jack McGee.
McGee was a fisherman through and through.
He caught a great many creatures from the depths of the sea so blue.

He once caught a great white shark on a fine, fair day.
When he reeled it in, his little boat did rock and sway.
"We're gonna need a bigger boat," he said to his crew.
After all, his ship was quite quaint and humble, in truth.

Not long after he caught his prize shark on a his prize ship,
Captain McGee brought onto his ship his grandson named Skip.
The boy was nothing if not active and rowdy,
Especially on days when it was rainy and cloudy.

Skip liked to run back and forth and back and forth along the deck,
But that proved a problem when storm clouds rolled in overhead.
In the ship's cabin, bored Skip wreaked all sorts of havoc.
McGee said, "For this wild child we need a bigger boat, there's no way around it."

After hours upon hours of running and jumping,
Skip had left a mess in his wake in the poor little ship's cabin.
Then the boy perked his ears and said, "Did you hear that?"
Captain McGee told him, "All I hear are the cries of my ship from your attack."

"No," the boy said, "I hear a cat."
He jumped up and ran to the deck just like that.
It was raining and pouring,
Thundering so loudly no one could be snoring.

"There's no cat out here," tired old McGee said.
He could then only sigh and shake his head.
But then, believe it or not, the old man was proven wrong.
The boy pointed to a cat trying with all its might to swim in the waves so strong.

McGee gasped and threw overboard a flotation device so the cat could be saved.
The poor thing deserved to survive, especially with it being so tough and brave.
When the cat was brought aboard, it shook its drenched fur and meowed.
The rowdy boy named Skip shouted, "He's so friendly! I'm keeping him! Wow!"

Indeed, Skip kept the cat, naming him Storm.
The boy and the cat ran amok and the entire boat they did swarm.
"Now we definitely need a bigger boat," Captain Jack McGee did say,
Though this time he said it with a smile that actually did stay.

Indeed, a bigger boat was bought,
So that Skip and Storm could properly play and romp.
Captain Jack McGee did do just that,
All for the boy and his cat.

***

Now, of course, we're ready to give thanks, which is easy to do with Brian's Thankful Thursday Blog Hop.

Thimble is of course here to express some gratitude. Much like last week, Thimble is thankful for the summer sun, and for the pretty green of summer trees.

Thimble is wishing you all a sunny day!

***

Last but not least, how about we share the fill-in statements for tomorrow's Friendly Fill-ins challenge? My co-host Ellen of 15andmeowing came up with the first two, and I came up with the second two.

1. Lately, I've been _________.

2. I find _________ fascinating.

3. If I had known _________, I would have _________.

4. I can't help but _________ when I'm nervous.

We'll see you tomorrow, friends!

***

Did you know?

Did you know research has shown that many cats show a paw preference much like humans show a handedness preference? In other words, cats can potentially be right-pawed (like being right-pawed) or left-pawed (left-handed). At least one study found that roughly 75% of cats displayed a paw preference. Each cat's preference can affect which foot they put forward first when walking, or which paw they use to reach for something. What's more, research went as far as to find that female cats appear to more often have a preference for using their right paw, whereas male cats more often have a preference for their left paw.

Woof Woof Wednesday

It's Woof Woof Wednesday, and pup Astrid wants to show off her new collar.

Astrid had the same collar for something like 7 years, and after so many washings, it was finally toast. So, she finally got a new one. Finally. She didn't give you a great view of it there, but such is life. That new collar of Astrid's was inspired by a certain little detail from the movie The Nightmare Before Christmas, of which I am very fond. Astrid seems okay with it as well, so I'm happy with that.

Happy Wednesday, friends!

***

Flashback Doodle of the Day

***

Did you know?

Did you know that the pet door is an invention often attributed to Isaac Newton? Then again, this assertion is also often likened to an urban legend. Either way, according to the legend that Isaac Newton invented the pet door, it's said he cut holes in his door for his cats to pass through. One version of this story even goes as far as to indicate that he did this in order to keep his cat from requiring the door to his darkroom be opened fully, which could ruin light-sensitive experiments. This same version of the story surrounding the invention of the pet door also indicates that Isaac Newton's cat supposedly named Spithead was the one who would open the door to his darkroom. Do you think even a lick of this is true? Either way, it's an interesting thought.

Rewind Tonks Tuesday

The kitties and pup here shared some flashback photos last week. There were a couple past photos I saw in our archives that we didn't get a chance to share but that really just need to be shown again. Just because. These are a couple of those flashback photos.

Does anyone remember this from a couple years ago?

Tonks has a great fondness for paper bags. I'm lucky if I can even get the groceries out of the bags before Tonks claims the bags as hers. One of the first times I brought home groceries in paper bags after adopting Tonks, I learned that the bags' handles have to be removed pretty much as soon as I make it into the house. Otherwise, the calico gets herself into trouble. Today's tip at the end of this post discusses that exact topic.

Happy Tuesday, friends!

***

Flashback Doodle of the Day

***

Tip of the Day

Today's tip relates to the above flashback photos, and it's probably a tip that you can logically deduce, that you already know, and perhaps even that you've experienced. And what is this tip? It's simply to be aware and cautious of handles on bags when it comes to your kitties and pups. This might be in regard to handles on grocery bags, or even handles on purses, tote bags, backpacks, briefcases, suitcases, and other similar carrying cases. As for plastic grocery bags, it's simply best to always keep these out of your furbaby's reach. This is because not only can the handles get caught around a cat or dog's neck or other limb, but the material of the bag can lead to suffocation. When it comes to paper grocery bags, cats often enjoy playing in or on them. If you do allow your kitty or even your pup to play with a paper grocery bag, remove the handles, or at the very least cut them so that they are no longer a full loop that can get caught around a furry little neck or limb. As for other bags, such as purses and the like, if they have handles that might even potentially get caught on a kitty or pup and thereby potentially cause injury, keep these off the floor and out of a furbaby's reach.

Mancat Monday

It's Mancat Monday, and so of course here on our blog it's all about resident mancat Evan today. What's more, this boy decided to bless you all with his toesies.

Those are the toesies of one of Evan's paralyzed hind legs. Aren't they just perfect? The answer is yes.

Happy Monday!

***

Flashback Doodle of the Day

***

Tip of the Day

Our last tip on preventatives against parasites is to be careful and wary of preventatives that are not recommended or sold by veterinarians. There are many preventatives out there that are off-brands and considered "cheap" options. This is an instance, though, when you don't want to go "cheap", or off-brand. There have been reports of cats and dogs who have fallen ill or who have died after being given certain off-brand preventatives. Don't risk your furbaby's life. Know the preventatives that veterinarians recommend and sell, do your research, and stick to the products that have proven the most effective and safe for kitties and pups.