A Belated Day of the Dead

My laptop is back on good terms with the internet, and after roughly an eon of updates, it's finally up and running. So, before we get fully back on track tomorrow, how about we finally have a belated Day of the Dead sort of day?

That there is our current collection of Day of the Dead kitty and pup figurines. Do you see the furry bystander off to the side there?

Toby decided he's claiming these friends as his and his alone.

Tonks wanted to befriend the skeletal crew during this photo shoot, but Toby didn't approve.

He also did not approve of Winky joining the party.

So he rudely, well, sniffed her butt. Don't ask me. That's not my style.

As a boy in a tux, Toby especially appreciated seeing some of his friends dressed to the nines.

How about a couple of tidbits about Day of the Dead, or Día de los Muertos? This celebration typically spans from October 31 through November 2. It's a traditional Christian celebration in Mexico, with October 31 being All Hallows' Eve, November 1 being All Saints' Day, and November 2 being All Souls' Day. During Day of the Dead festivities, both life and death are celebrated. Those celebrating take part in activities such as decorating loved ones graves, setting up altars in memory of their loved ones, and feasting on traditional foods.

Day of the Dead is often a very colorful and sometimes even humorous celebration, as it is often when deceased loved ones are remembered through happy memories. There is often dancing, costumes, and masks or other decorations with colorful skulls. As for the traditional dishes made and eaten during Day of the Dead, one of the most common is a sweet bread known as pan de muerto, which simply translates to bread of the dead.

Happy Wednesday, friends!

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Belated Halloween Doodle of the Day

Though this is certainly not in any Day of the Dead style, how about one of our new Halloween doodles that got put on the back burner during actual Halloween? Because, at this point, why not.

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Tip of the Day

Due to technical difficulties, our past couple of posts didn't include our usual daily tips. Let's get back on track with that. Just as we did in October, this November we'll be sharing repeat and sometimes revamped tips from last November. This is because last November's tips touched on topics that seem important enough to repeat. This month's repeat tips will include topics such as cancer in pets, diabetes in pets, and Thanksgiving pet safety. So, here we go.

November is Pet Cancer Awareness Month. Our first tip on this topic is actually about none other than spaying and neutering, which we've of course discussed many times before. Spaying and neutering your furbabies is not only important for of population control, but also because, like humans, they can develop cancers of the reproductive tract and related systems. This can include uterine cancer, mammary cancer, and prostate cancer.

What's more, timing of spaying and neutering can be crucial. It is important to ensure that a kitty or pup is of course old enough and big enough for neutering, but also not too old. This is because, for example, there is an increased risk of mammary cancer in female cats and dogs who are allowed to go through one or more cycles prior to being spayed. We could go on and on about this topic, but let's suffice it to say that, as most of you certainly know, it's incredibly important to spay and neuter your cats and dogs for more reasons than one. We'll even say it again. Please spay and neuter your kitties and pups, and do so before they can be affected by an increased risk of cancer.