Thankful Thimble Thursday

I misspoke last week after looking at my calendar incorrectly. Our weekly participation in Angel Sammy's Thoroughly Poetic Thursday challenge will resume in July, that being next week rather than today. I'm finally shuffling up both my work and personal schedule in July, in order to better fit in some of my personal hobbies that mean a lot to me yet that I've been neglecting for months on end now. All that to say, our weekly poems will return next Thursday.

All of that rambling aside, how about we move on to Brian's Thankful Thursday Blog Hop?

As always, Thimble is here to share her gratitude.

Today, Thimble is grateful for when the sun allows for glamour shots like this one. She and all of us here are also thankful for friends like all of you!

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And now we have for you 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. A fashion trend that I hope never returns is _________.

2. I fashion trend I wouldn't mind coming back in style is _________.

3. I think _________ is superior to _________.

4. When a new month rolls around, I _________.

We'll see you tomorrow, friends!

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Flashback Doodle of the Day

Today's flashback doodle is a weird one that I scribbled up last year, and it relates to some strange decor that stays out year round at my house. And by that I mean that there are two 5' skeletons that hang out in my house every day of the year. One of them sits in in the corner of my little library, and the other one sits at my art desk when I'm not using it. This one's for you, skeletons.

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Tip of the Day

Is your kitty a chewer? Do they put anything and everything in their mouth? While we're sure you all know to keep potentially dangerous plants out of your home, do you have safe or fake plants on which your kitty chews? If your cat goes outdoors, do they tend to eat grass on the lawn? If the answers to any of these are yes, and if medical issues have been ruled out for any abnormal behaviors, do perhaps consider keeping some cat grass growing in your home. Even if any of the above statements aren't true of your cat, you can of course still offer cat grass. Cat grass is a safe plant on which many cats enjoy chewing, and which also serves as a source of fiber than can help keep things moving sufficiently through the GI tract. For example, cat grass might be able to help prevent issues with hairballs.

You can purchase cat grass that has already been grown and is ready for your kitty's chompers, or you can grow your own. It is relatively simple to grow, and is typically also cheap. So, do consider looking into keeping cat grass in your home, both for your kitty's entertainment as well as for their health.

I Spy on Woof Woof Wednesday

Astrid was playing I Spy on one of her walks the other day. First she spied something white and black. Can you see what she saw?

Astrid spied a soccer ball in the creek. Isn't that nice? It's certainly not the weirdest thing we've ever seen in this creek. But there's something else Astrid spied near that soccer ball. Actually, it's a few somethings, all brown and feathered. Do you see them?

You probably can't see it very well, since this zoomed in photo leaves a lot to be desired, but there is a mama duck and her ducklings just ahead of the soccer ball. Astrid has always been quite fascinated by ducks. Not so much when it comes to geese, though. Astrid thinks geese are downright terrifying, and she'd rather run away from them than walk past them.

Astrid hopes you all enjoyed her game of I Spy! Happy Wednesday, friends!

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Flashback Doodle of the Day

Yesterday we shared a flashback doodle from a past Father's Day, simply because we forgot to share it around actual Father's Day. So, how about another forgotten Father's Day doodle from a year past? This one illustrates my dad's daily life with curtain-shredding kitties, including a couple of chubby little cuties who often need helping cleaning their rear ends. Makes sense, right?

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Tip of the Day

We've been offering some pet parenting hacks, including ways to save money or space while also having a happy furbaby. Today's tip is another plain and simple one, and that's to consider making your own toys for your cats, or even your pups. For example, if you have an old shirt you no longer intend to wear, you can cut it up and use the cloth to create simple knot toys for your cat. If you have some catnip on hand, you can even include some of that in the knot itself, or let the toy soak up some catnip in a sealed bag prior to gifting it to your cat. You can also use old clothes to make knotted or braided toys for a dog, as long as the dog is not know to eat such items. Even a lone or unwanted sock could be used as a toy, such as simply by rolling it into a ball that a cat or dog could bat around or chase. You can even fill it with or soak it in catnip for a kitty.

You could even try your hand at making an interactive toy for your kitty, or even your pup. One such idea is to take a Tupperware container, cut roughly golf ball-sized holes in its lid, put some of your kitty's toys or treats in the container, put the lid on, and let your kitty use the holes to have fun trying to access their goodies. Then again, a cardboard box might work just as well for this DIY interactive cat toy. Interactive toys such as this can be great for a cat or dog's physical as well as mental health, especially if they are spending extra time closed up indoors due to the weather. It's even better when you can save money by creating such toys yourself.

The options for making your own cat toys, or even dog toys, are endless. You can even take cardboard boxes to make a cheap castle for your kitty. So, if you're looking to save some money, or if you want to find a use for safe yet unused items such as clothing, then consider how they might be used to create something fun for your furbaby. If you want further ideas, there are an astonishing number of ideas online, so look into all of your options if you wish to. Of course, always make your furbaby's health and happiness your highest priority, so do not create any toys that might put them at risk.

Tonks Tuesday with a Side of Tongue

It's Tonks Tuesday around here, so here's a Tonks and her tongue for you to enjoy.

Happy Tuesday, friends!

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Flashback Doodle of the Day

Around Father's Day, I meant to share one of the doodles I scribbled up for my dad a couple of years ago, but I forgot to do so. So, we'll share it today. The long and short of this one is that my dad enjoys playing video games, and his cats are always willing to offer a lending hand paw.

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Tip of the Day

We're continuing with our pet parenting hack tips. So, yesterday we mentioned wrapping sisal rope around furniture legs in order to create money-saving scratching posts that also save you extra floor space. That's not the only way furniture can be used to create something special for your kitty, though. We all know that cats love cozy places to relax, including, of course, hammocks. If you yet again want to save money and floor space, you can suspend a hammock from beneath an end table or other similar piece of furniture. You would start with some cloth, which could be securely attached to or tied around the legs of the table. You could use velcro, some safely tied rope, or even just the corners of the cloth to suspend the hammock. In this way, you could create a cheap, easy, space-saving DIY hammock in which your kitty could snooze.

Handsome Mancat Monday

Happy Monday, friends! Here's a handsome mancat for you to celebrate the day.

Oh, you need to see Evan's handsome face a bit closer up? Okay. Here you go.

Have a fantastic day, friends!

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Flashback Doodle of the Day

Do you see that knife on the table in the background of that doodle? I remember scribbling this up last year after seeing a somewhat similar sign that said, "Coffee. Because murder is wrong." For me it would be tea or hot cocoa rather than coffee, though. But I digress.

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Tip of the Day

Are you interested in saving the money or space that is required for store-bought cat scratching posts? One simple option is to securely wrap sisal rope around table legs, chair legs, banisters, or other similar furniture or home features. This also can spare said furniture from damage from kitty claws. Therefore, this sort of DIY cat scratcher is not only simple and easy, but can also save you money, space, and damage to certain pieces of furniture or areas of the home.

Sleepy Sunday Selfies

Thimble has some selfies to share today.

Though, she is pretty tired.

Thimble hopes you all get some naps in today, because that's exactly what she's about to do.

Happy Sunday, friends!

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Flashback Doodle of the Day

Does anyone remember when I scribbled up Evan as a mercat a couple years ago?

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Tip of the Day

Is your kitty one of those who likes to play with the toilet paper roll? You know, the kind of kitty who unravels the entire roll, and maybe shreds it a bit, or trails it all throughout the house? If your kitty is any semblance of a toilet paper fiend, we have a plain and simple pet parenting hack for you today. Perhaps the easiest way to combat a furry toilet paper fiend is to turn the roll upside down. I know that to some people this is something like a felony, but turning the roll so that it unravels under rather than over will help ensure that a cat cannot simply walk up, dig at it, and unroll the entire thing with little to no effort. Another option is to try tucking the end of the toilet paper into the roll itself. This way, if your furbaby tries to dig at the toilet paper, it won't immediately start unraveling. Of course, not every cat is intrigued by the concept of toilet paper. If your kitty is, however, then it might be worth it to try tips such as these to prevent torn and strewn toilet paper in your home.

Caturday Art

On Tuesday, we shared a photo of Tonks hanging out in her beloved tunnel. In honor of that, we thought we'd share this flashback doodle starring a kitty in none other than a tunnel.

 

I scribbled up that there doodle a couple of years ago. Does anyone remember it? It was inspired by one of my parents' cats. Her name is Gilly, and she loves her tunnel.

Happy Caturday, friends!

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Tip of the Day

Does your kitty every try to help you when you're using the computer? Does he or she make a bed out of the keyboard? Does your kitty take your computer chair right out from under you? If you truly need to use your computer, but also want to let your kitty hang out with you, try putting a cardboard box next to your work space. You could put it on the computer desk, at your feet, on a chair beside you, or anywhere near where you're working. As you all know, many cats live for boxes, and so that might be tempting enough to draw them away from the computer, so that you can properly do your work alongside a happy kitty. Of course, if your cat is not a box cat, near your work space you could instead set up for them a cat bed, a blanket, a piece of your clothing, a spare chair, or anything else they might enjoy. Believe it or not, it might be possible to have a happy kitty, and to also use your computer.

Friendly Fill-Ins and Photo Fails

Hello and happy Friday, friends! Are you ready for the Friendly Fill-Ins challenge? We sure are, and we'd love for you to join us! My co-host Ellen of 15andmeowing came up with the first two fill-in statements, and I came up with the second two.


1. The grossest food I ever ate was _________.

2. The best tasting food I ever had was _________.

3. I should probably _________, but I won't.

4. If I could have an unlimited supply of one item, I would pick _________.

My answers are below in bold.

1. The grossest food I ever ate was flan.

(In my high school Spanish class, we once had a party for which each student had to bring a traditional Mexican dish. One of my classmates brought flan, which is a Mexican custard dessert. This flan was lumpy, but also runny, and it tasted both bland yet also really gross. I was so confused, as were my taste buds. I honestly don't know if my classmate even made the flan correctly, but I've still been too afraid to ever try it again.)

2. The best tasting food I ever had was carbohydrates.
(I tried to think of a specific meal or food I've tried that really stuck out, but I couldn't come up with one in particular. So, I went with this. I love me some pasta, bread, and all those carbs.)

3. I should probably stop giving my furbabies tastes of my food, but I won't.

(While I don't let them eat anything toxic or otherwise dangerous, I often let my kitties and pup have safe little bites of what I'm eating, especially when they look at me all cute. I know this is a big no-no to some people, but I'm not one of those people. I figure my furbabies usually just get their same ol' food in their bowls, meal after meal. So, if they want a taste of something different from my bowl every once in awhile, they can have it. Their lives are unfortunately much shorter than ours, so I'm not here to keep them from the simple joys of life.)

4. If I could have an unlimited supply of one item, I would pick cat food.

(With the cat food shortages we're having, can someone hook me up with endless amounts of my kitties' favorite food? That would be great.)

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.

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

Our resident blooper queen Eddy of course has some outtakes to share. These may or may not be bloopers mostly because of this here human, who doesn't seem to understand the concept of lighting in a photo. Though, Eddy opting to take a bath over posing for the camera is the bloopery icing on the cake.

Have a fantastic Friday, friends!

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Flashback Doodle of the Day

I was going through some of my doodles from last summer, and I'd forgotten about quite a few of them. Such as this one starring a canine Eeyore and, well, Tigger of a sort.

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Tip of the Day

Yesterday we gave the pet parenting hack of using rubber gloves to remove furbaby hair from sofas, car interiors, and so forth. We failed to mention another option, and so we'll go ahead and do that today. If your clothing, bedding, or similar item is covered in pet hair and you're looking for a quick fix, you can try tossing it in the dryer with a dryer sheet. The anti-static nature of dyer sheets will help keep the hair from sticking to the clothing, bedding, or whatever item is in question. The hair will instead make its way to the lint trap. You could also try just rubbing a dryer sheet on the hairy item, as that sometimes will also help remove hair with the aid of its anti-static nature.

That all being said, though, please do keep those dryer sheets out of your furbaby's reach. This is because dryer sheets often contain potentially toxic components. So, keep those dryer sheets well hidden, and find and toss stray dryer sheets before dispersing the laundry. Of course, if you have any concern for your furbaby's safety, then simply refrain from using this method altogether.

Thankful Thimble Thursday

Next week I expect to finally be back to regularly sharing poems for Angel Sammy's Thoroughly Poetic Thursday challenge. For today, though, we're going to get right to Brian's Thankful Thursday Blog Hop.

As always, a little tabby girl named Thimble is here to share some gratitude.

Thimble is yet again thankful for her adorable face. For good reason. She's also grateful for her beloved window view, and sunshine. Oh, and Thimble is so happy that the Christmas tree cat bed behind her there is kept out year round, even in the sweltering heat of summer. Thimble is thankful for so much today, including all of you friends of ours!

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Now, how about the fill-in statements for tomorrow's Friendly Fill-Ins challenge? My wonderful co-host Ellen of 15andmeowing came up with the first two fill-in statements, and I came up with the second two.

1. The grossest food I ever ate was _________.

2. The best tasting food I ever had was _________.

3. I should probably _________, but I won't.

4. If I could have an unlimited supply of one item, I would pick _________.

We'll see you tomorrow, friends!

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Flashback Doodle of the Day

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Tip of the Day

Do you have furbaby hair on your sofa? What about in your car? Surely not on your clothes? Our pet parenting life hack for today is to keep some rubber gloves on hand. Why? Because, aside from the more commonly used lint roller or piece of tape, rubber gloves can be a reusable tool for removing furbaby hair from surfaces such as sofas and car interiors. You just put on a rubber glove and run it over the hairy sofa or other surface. The rubber glove will help lift the hair from the surface, and the hair will instead stick to the glove. When you're done using the glove to remove furbaby hair from your furniture, one easy way to get said hair off of the glove is by submerging the glove in water. The hair will float off of the glove, and then you can dip the hair out of the water and toss it. So, if you're looking for a quick, easy, reusable tool for removing your furbaby's hair from your furniture, consider giving the rubber glove trick a try.

What Happens on Woof Woof Wednesday?

Today's photos are the farthest thing from high quality. But, both Astrid and I want to share them anyway. Every Sunday, during our family dinner, Astrid gets a cookie from our local pet store. They recently had some new ones that I simply had to get for the pup, and this was one of them.

Do you see that blurry nose sneaking into that photo? Don't worry, its furry owner got the cookie soon enough.

There's that Astrid smile. She knew that cookie was seconds away from being hers, and she couldn't wait. I didn't get any photos of her eating it, probably because that's a bit of a messy event. But, in case you're curious, Astrid gave this truth bomb of a cookie a 10/10.

Happy Wednesday, friends!

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Flashback Doodle of the Day

Today we have for you the last doodle in the short Victorian series I attempted a couple years ago.

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Tip of the Day

I was going through old posts the other day, trying to recall some of the older tips we've given in the past. My search found me a series of tips that we first shared in 2018, and which I'd completely forgotten about. It's a series of tips of life hacks for pet parents, especially cat parents, and I've decided to reshare them now just for the heck of it. I'd even forgotten about some of these pet parent hacks. These hacks may be all sorts of random, but we hope these might offer some pet parenting tips for saving money, saving space, saving time, and, of course, keeping your furbaby happy and healthy.

Today's hack is about those windows, which may or may not be open during the warm summer months. We're here today to ask if you know that there is window screen tape on the market. Did you know that? If you are in need of a quick or temporary fix for a torn window screen, especially if there is any chance that the window might be opened and a furbaby potentially escape, then perhaps look into having window screen tape on hand. This tape can be applied to a tear in a window screen, and is meant not only to hold it together, but is also made to look like part of the screen. Of course, this is likely not mean to be a permanent fix, and may not be able to hold up to a determined furbaby. It is of course still wise to only open windows when they are safe and when the furbaby is supervised, but it might not hurt to have window screen tape on hand in case an emergency quick fix is needed.

Tonks Tuesday Tunnel Vision

Tonks loves herself a good ol' tunnel. The only problem is when she thinks she's hiding in it, and yet this obnoxious mom of hers finds her in it anyway. So much for privacy, huh?

Tonks and all of us here wish you a terrific Tuesday! Tonks also hopes that all of you kitties' humans give you more privacy than hers does.

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Doodle of the Day

Today's doodle is a couple days late, as it's the illustration I scribbled up for my dad's Father's Day card from this past Sunday. I failed to share it then, though, so here it is now.

This doodle more or less illustrates my cat-loving dad's life. My parents have 12 cats, and the 2 in this doodle are Trapper and Foggy. They're each nearly 25 lbs, but I digress. My parents' cats have a tendency to invade the table, and there are stories about them attempting to steal my dad's ham sandwiches, spilling his drink, wreaking havoc on the salt and spice shakers, and all that jazz. One of the recent stories I was told involved my dad leaving the table for a quick moment, only to return to find his spot on the table taken by big boy Trapper licking his hind quarters, while equally gigantic Foggy attempted to steal my dad's plate of food. And so, I was inspired to scribble up this doodle.

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Tip of the Day

Today's summer safety tip for strays and ferals relates to the trap-neuter-release (TNR) practice. TNR is crucial for keeping the feral cat population under control, as well as keeping individual ferals as safe and healthy as possible. This being said, always keep the weather and environment in mind when embarking on a TNR effort.

The summer heat can of course pose an extreme danger to cats being trapped. Potentially fatal overheating or heat stroke can occur if a cat is trapped and left sitting in the trap in the sun. In addition to this, traps are often made of metal, which means that if these traps are sitting on a hot surface, such as asphalt, the trap as well as the cat inside can overheat in this way as well. To combat such issues, try to trap and thereafter keep ferals in the shade. After they are trapped, do not leave the cats sitting out in the sun and heat, but instead transfer them somewhere cool as soon as possible. Also keep in mind the cats' safety when transporting them. For example, as you all surely know, the interior of a car can quickly become like a deadly oven in the summer months, so do not leave any animals, including trapped ferals, inside hot cars.

TNR is of course a very important practice for the safety and well-being of feral cats. That doesn't mean there aren't risks to the cats, though, and that includes the weather. So, if you are assisting in the significant task of trapping ferals, of course always ensure the cats' safety in all weather.

Mancat Monday Handsomeness

It's Mancat Monday, so obviously it's time for a dose of Evan. Prepare yourself for some major handsomeness.

Evan hopes seeing his swoon-worthy face improved your Monday!

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Flashback Doodle of the Day

Today's flashback is from a short series of doodles I scribbled up a couple years ago. I was aiming for a Victorian sort of feel, and though I don't know if I succeeded at that, I do remember having a lot of fun scribbling this up.

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Tip of the Day

We have discussed in past tips the battle that sometimes rages between our furbabies' food and these little things known as ants. As we've all surely seen at some point, ants often flock to easily accessible sources of food. This means that our furbabies' food, which is often at ground level, can make for an easy target. This can be an especially tricky issue when it comes to feeding strays and ferals outdoors. There are, however, some potential solutions.

As we've mentioned in our past ant tips, you can try using chalk or tape to draw a square or circle around outdoor food bowls. Ants will often see this is as a barrier, and will therefore often be unable to make their way into the bowl. Another option is to use something such as baking soda to create a circle or square around the base of outdoor furbabies' food bowls, again so that ants will see this as a barrier and will leave the food alone. Yet another option is to create a moat that ants cannot cross. You can do this by setting strays' and ferals' food bowls in a low dish of water, so that the ants cannot get to the food through the water. Then again, there are also ant-proof bowls on the market. Some of these offer their own moat-like feature, or other features that help keep ants at bay.

So, if you are combating ants in food bowls that you put out for strays and ferals, perhaps do some research and try various options. The important thing is to ensure that whatever ant-proofing method you use does not deter or frighten the furbabies. It is not impossible to keep ants out of strays' and ferals' food, you simply have to use a method that does the job without affecting the furbabies' ability to eat.

Happy Father's Day!

We want to begin this post by wishing a Happy Father's Day to all the dads out there! Whether your children are the human sort or the furry and four-legged sort, dads help make this world go round.

The furbabies here don't have a human dad, but this here human has a dad. He is a wonderful father to me, my sister, and to all of his 12 kitties. He's also a fantastic Pawpaw to the kitties and pup here at my house.

My dad is a lifelong animal lover, and he's obviously one of the reasons I was blessed enough to grow up with cats, dogs, birds, and all sorts of furry, feathered, and finned friends. He's also probably the main reason why there are so many cats at his house as well as my house, as he's responsible for bringing home a large majority of the cats in our lives. That all started with the litter of kittens that not only included my Thimble and our housemate Toby, but also my dad's boys Trapper and Talon.

In honor of Father's Day, the photo we're sharing today is the same fatherly flashback one we shared last year. It's from 8 years ago, to be exact. It stars my dad as well as a couple of tiny kittens named Thimble and Trapper.

I could not be more proud of my dad's kindness to animals, and I could not be more happy that he helped instill in me a love for animals. Thank you, Dad!

Oh, and thanks for being our grill master, Dad!

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!

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Tip of the Day

We're continuing on with our tips on summer safety for outdoor strays and ferals. Today we're moving on to the topic of food. When feeding furbabies outdoors, you of course have to take into consideration the heat of summer. Food can spoil in extreme heat, as you all surely know. Dry food is often the best one to feed strays and ferals on hot days. After all, moist food will spoil far more quickly, and will also quickly dry out in the sun and heat. You can try adding additional water to moist food to keep it from drying out too quickly, but even this method won't be able to combat the heat for long. No matter what type of food you feed to strays and ferals, do try to keep it in a shaded area or under a shaded shelter. What's more, remove old food and offer fresh food as often as is possible and needed.

It's also worth noting that though dry food is easier and safer to feed to outdoor cats in the heat, you still have to take precautions. Not only can dry food lose its freshness and safe status in the heat, but also think of instances such as rainy days. Dry food that gets wet will swell, become unappetizing, and can easily spoil if not cleaned up. So, when feeding dry or even moist food, of course keep in mind not only the heat, but other environmental factors such as rain. All in all, keep those strays and ferals healthy this summer with fresh food that is in the shade and protected from spoilage and other issues as best as possible.

Friendly Fill-Ins

Hello and happy Friday, friends! It's time for the Friendly Fill-Ins challenge, and we'd love for you to join us. My amazing co-host Ellen of 15andmeowing came up with the first two fill-in statements, and I came up with the second two.


1. A product I would endorse is _________.

2. If I had a boat, I would name it _________.

3. _________ was one of the first times I truly felt like a responsible adult.

4. I struggle with change most especially when it relates to _________.

My answers are below in bold. This week, I again tried to make them all about the furbabies.

1. A product I would endorse is any cat carrier that I can easily get Eddy into.
(I so far haven't found this carrier. My Eddy girl wholeheartedly hates carriers of every kind, and getting her into one always turns into World War 3. I'm not usually on the winning side.)

2. If I had a boat, I would name it Rosie.
(As some of you probably know, Rosie was one of my childhood cats. My family adopted her as a kitten when I was 4, and she lived to be 21. She saw me through many different milestones in life, and so I'd easily choose name a boat after her.)

3. Adopting my first cat of my own was one of the first times I truly felt like a responsible adult.
(There have been only a couple events in my life that made me feel something along the lines of an actual adult, like joining the work force after college and buying a house. But, I think I felt most accomplished and happy with where I was in my adult life when I was able to bring home a cat and care for it all on my own. I'd grown up helping care for my beloved Rosie and other childhood pets, but when I was able to independently care for my boy Evan, and then my girls Thimble, Eddy, and Tonks, and of course pup Astrid, I felt like I'd really reached the point in my life where I'd always wanted to be.)

4. I struggle with change most especially when it relates to my furbabies.
(Like many people, I find all sorts of types of change to be daunting, for all sorts of reasons. But, what I'm getting at with this fill-in is when any kind of change means my furbabies might be uncomfortable or unhappy, even if temporarily. For example, things like moving or having major house renovations done have and always will be something that stress me out largely because I know they will stress out my kitties. I remember that being what mainly had me on edge when I moved in the past, when my home's roof was quite loudly replaced, and so on and so forth. Big events like those are plain and simply stressful in and of themselves, but one of my main stressors of such levels of change is knowing that my kitties are going to be incredibly scared.) 

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.

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Now, who's ready for their Eddy fix? Because here it is!

This cute little tabby girl wishes you all a happy Friday!

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Flashback Doodle of the Day

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Tip of the Day

The past couple tips in our summer safety tips for strays and ferals have been all about water. Guess what? Today's tip is about water as well. Since water is such a crucial aspect of survival, especially in the heat of summer, we thought we'd give it one last hoorah. Today, we're specifically talking about water bowls.

Water bowl preference can of course play a part in any cat's life. We've talked before about whisker fatigue, for example, and how this often causes cats to prefer wider bowls, as these won't cause them to bump their whiskers while getting a drink. That being said, though, when it comes to offering water outdoors in the heat, keep in mind how the shape and size of the water bowl can play a part. For example, did you know that evaporation happens more rapidly when water has a large surface area? This is why water in wide, shallow bowls will evaporate relatively quickly in the heat. To combat this, try to offer water in bowls that are narrower and deeper. Of course, do try to ensure that the bowl is not so narrow that it makes drinking impossible or difficult, but also try to ensure that a bowl has a decent chance of combating evaporation.

In addition, consider the material out of which the bowl is made. This one can be a bit tough when it comes to offering water to strays and ferals to hot and sunny days. We've talked before about how stainless steel bowls are often a good choice over plastic bowls, since plastic bowls can get scratched and thereby more easily harbor microbes. But, as you all surely know, metallic surfaces can get pretty darn hot in the summer heat. Especially if a bowl is in the sun or on a hot surface, a metallic bowl might not only cause the water to become uncomfortably warm, but the bowl itself might also become painfully hot to the touch. This is best prevented if the bowl is placed in a cool, shaded area. You can also, if possible and safe, try using sturdy glassware as outdoor bowls. This is of course only reasonable if breakage is unlikely to occur, though, as broken glass is indeed a danger.

In short, take anything and everything possible into consideration when trying to help strays and ferals remain safe in the summer heat. This does indeed include their water bowls. Aim for bowls that will prevent rapid evaporation, but that will also be easy and safe out of which to drink.

Thimble Thursday

Hello, friends! It's been a busy couple of days at work, and so we're unfortunately just here for a quick little visit. First up, how about a cute Thimble on this Thursday?

That's Thimble yet again helping me make the bed. You know, by settling in for a nap right where I'm trying to pull the blankets. Of course, this cute girl always gets her way, and so the bed will just get made later.

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Now, we finally have for you 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. A product I would endorse is _________.

2. If I had a boat, I would name it _________.

3. _________ was one of the first times I truly felt like a responsible adult.

4. I struggle with change most especially when it relates to _________.

We'll see you tomorrow, friends!

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Flashback Doodle of the Day

In honor of Thimble "helping" me make the bed in her adorable photo above, how about this flashback doodole of Sleeping Beauty and her clowder?

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Tip of the Day

Today's summer safety tip for strays, ferals, and other outdoor furbabies revolves around water. Water is, as you certainly know, incredibly important for all life. It's especially important for staying hydrated and cool in the summer heat. That being said, today we have some quite logical albeit important tips for helping strays, ferals, and other outdoor furbabies stay hydrated this summer.

Not only is it important to keep water in a shaded area or shaded shelter, as we mentioned yesterday, but it's also important to keep fresh water available in abundance. Especially in the summer heat, it is not possible to offer too much water. Strays and ferals may very well drink, and need to drink, far more water in the heat. Not to mention, in the heat, water can evaporate very quickly. For these reasons, try to offer extra bowls of water.

Furthermore, try to keep those bowls of water as fresh and clean as possible. Refill them as often as you can, and clean them as needed. Bugs, leaves, and all sorts of other outdoor debris can find their way into water bowls. Sometimes, cats and other animals may be unable to or unwilling to drink from a bowl that has debris floating in it or that is in another way dirty. In some cases, it's also unhealthy and dangerous to drink water this has been contaminated by certain debris. So, do try to keep those bowls and the water inside them fresh and clean.

For extra chill in that water, and perhaps even to give it a bit tad bit more ability to combat evaporation in the heat, you can also try putting ice cubes in the water bowls that are available to strays and ferals. Of course, do keep in mind the furbabies' preferences when doing this. Some animals will not drink from water that has something floating in it, so if this is the case, then refrain from putting ice cubes in at least some water bowls.

All in all, never forgot that fresh, clean water can of course be crucial to comfort and survival in the summer heat. So, offer lots and lots of water for those strays, ferals, and other outdoor furbabies. What's more, keep an eye on those water bowls, and try to ensure that they remain full and free of debris.