Mancat Monday with the Letter I

Hello and happy Monday, friends! Shall we get right to the April A to Z Challenge?

As you're probably tired of hearing by now, for this year's April A to Z Challenge, since I love to write and am working on a series of books, I'm sharing A to Z doodles relating to my stories. Much like my usual doodles and weekly poems, the stories I write are weird, wacky, and star lots of animals. That leads us to today's letter, which is I. So, what does I stand for?

I is for Ick

Ick is the older gentleman sitting back there at the desk. Don't worry, Ick isn't his real name. Ick is actually a nickname that my own great-grandfather earned because of his likeness to a slender, long-necked literary character known as Ichabod Crane. I've always quite liked that nickname and the story behind it, so obviously I had to use it. And that's far from the only concept in my writing projects that's inspired by my family and their stories.

Oh, and in case it's not obvious, Ick is a librarian. The kitty in the forefront is more or less the library cat, but you'll more officially meet him this week. You'll just have to wait for the letter L.

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We now of course have for you a dose of Evan.

Our floors are often littered with cat beds, cat toys, tunnels, and all that good stuff. Of all the things on the floor, this cat bed is Evan's favorite. When he's tired, like on a Monday morning, he can tuck himself in for a nap.

Happy Monday, friends!

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Tip of the Day

Though rare, did you know that our furbabies can get lice? The lice our kitties and pups can get, though, are not the same that we humans get. In fact, lice are species-specific. Humans get a certain kind of lice, dogs can become infested with a different kind of lice, and yet a different type of lice affects cats. In other words, we cannot get lice from our furbabies, and they cannot get it from us. Again, though, lice in our furbabies is not terribly common. Still, it is important to know that it's not impossible.

Signs of lice might include your furbaby itching, scratching, or biting at affected areas of their body. You also might even be able to see the lice or their eggs, more or less white in color, on your furbaby. A lice infestation and its symptoms will likely more heavily affect cats or dogs who are sick, elderly, or have a compromised immune system.

Just as we have noted with all of the parasites we've previously discussed, if you have any concern that your kitty or pup is infested with lice, of course have them seen by your veterinarian as soon as possible. Your veterinarian will be able to prescribe a treatment for eradicating lice. In addition, don't forget that with parasites such as lice, your furbaby's environment will also need to be rid of the infestation. As always, discuss any and all concerns with your veterinarian.