A Strange and Spooky Mancat Monday

It's Mancat Monday. Evan would give you his attention and say hello, but he's quite busy investigating a certain visitor.

Who is this strangely stuffed black cat? Evan is trying to figure that exact thing out.

Good grief. After he figures out this weird friend—if a friend it actually is—Evan will then have to move on to that pumpkin up there with the freakishly friendly face. Evan really wants to know why so much weird stuff keeps showing up at our house this time of the year.

Evan hopes you all have a far less weird Monday than he's having!

***

Now, we are finally sharing the poem and doodle for last week's installment of Angel Sammy's Thoroughly Poetic Thursday challenge.

The photo prompt our poetic host shared for this past week was this one here:

As has become the norm, I took some major liberties with this one. To be honest, as I was brainstorming some ideas for this prompt, I also saw this image online:

I've actually been seeing this image floating around a lot lately, probably because I'm a member of a lot of weird and wacky online groups, and I just can't get that witchy kitty imagery out of my head. And so, I tried to make my poem match both Angel Sammy's prompt and that image there. The result was this silly rhyme and illustration here:

The Witching Hour

The witching hour was really quite a busy one.
The witches had so much to do before the rising sun.
Helga needed to stir up a brew or two,
In the cauldron set up by Millie on Moonlight Avenue.

The elder of the witchy crew was a gal named Margot,
Who of all witchy things was quite an advanced pro.
Like all the witches in that busy hour,
Margot had so much to do that she was beginning to feel sour.

In a hurry to get things done,
Back and forth on her broom Margot spun.
She grabbed the spell books and of course the sage,
And don't dare think she would forget the wolfsbane.

So that she and her coven could do their witching hour duties,
Margot flew while other folk slept in their nightcaps and booties.
She brought Helga her potions and Millie her hat,
But there was one thing she had forgotten in all of that.

Though everything else was ready and in place,
There was one furry thing Margot forgot in her rushed race.
Every witch needs a loyal feline familiar,
But Margot forgot to find whiskered friends for the other witches and her.

She stopped her broom and, in truth, cursed just a bit,
But she didn't get far throwing a tantrum or a fit.
As if her witchy wisdom sensed her dilemma,
In front of her a solution was suddenly presented.

Though she had not realized it before,
Margot had stopped just in front of a certain building's door.
By the light of festively placed pumpkin lanterns, she saw where she was at.

She stood in front of the animal shelter, where a witch could indeed find herself a cat.

Just then, Margot saw motion from the corner of her eye,
And then she could not help but turn to the side.
In the animal shelter's window was something nothing short of cute,
Though its meows were certainly anything but mute.

Margot found herself face-to-face with the cutest little kitten,
It was fuzzy and black and with it she was immediately smitten.
The kitten put its cute little paws against the window's glass,
And Margot could not help but try to reach for it even when blocked by that.

And then, suddenly, there was more motion in the window.
Margot could see it all unfold in the frightfully festive lantern's glow.
Behind her new little friend appeared, well, more.
There were suddenly two kittens, then three, and then four and more.

Margot called over Helga, Millie, and the other witches.
Who, like Margot, were immediately smitten.
The witchy gals all began picking out their kittens,
And that was when a little puppy then appeared in their midst.

It was a witch named Annie who cried, "A puppy!"
And just like that the little canine became her familiar so trusty.
There were so many kittens and of course a puppy to take home,
That through the streets with full wagons and strollers the witches did roam.

And that was how Margot and her witches found their best friends,
And how a great many kittens' and a puppy's time in the shelter came to end.
It was fortunate that this tale unfolded in time for the witch's witching hour fun,
But they were grateful for far more reasons than just that one.

***

Tip of the Day

We've been giving all sorts of tips related to pet safety during trick-or-treating and other Halloween festivities. And, today, we have yet another tip related to that. Then again, it is almost Halloween, so perhaps it's permitted.

Today's tip is to help your kitty or pup get rid of some extra energy by engaging them in some form of activity before any Halloween festivities begin. This way, your furbaby would have less pent up energy and therefore less anxiety or frustration while they are tucked away somewhere safe while you hand out candy or celebrate this spooky holiday in another way. Helping your kitty or pup use up that extra energy of theirs could involve playing a game such as fetch with them, or directing their attention to interactive toys. If your fubaby is one who needs or likes walks, then you can also drain and prevent pent up energy by taking them for a walk prior to trick-or-treat hours. This would again enable them to release some of their energy before being secured in their safe room while you hand out candy. All in all, pent up energy can lead to issues such as anxiety or frustration in a cat or dog. This is why it might be a good idea to take your kitty or pup for a stroll, or to play with them in the house, prior to locking them up somewhere safe and away from the door on Halloween night.